David Lebovitz: Sweet Lemon Marmalade

Every winter there's a giant pile of every kind of citrus you can imagine at my local fancy grocery.  It's hard for me to walk through without grabbing something I haven't tried before.  When I saw that they had sweet lemons, I knew I needed to make something with them, but the selection of recipes is slim.  Luckily I can count on David Lebovitz.  This recipe makes a sweet marmalade that isn't bitter like regular orange and just plays nice with breakfast.

Note: Use citrus limetta for this recipe.  David Lebovitz's original recipe calls for "bergamots", but the fruit he is using is c. limetta, not c. bergamia.

Sweet Lemon Marmalade

From David Lebovitz

8 sweet lemons (about 700g), organic or unsprayed

3 cups (600g) sugar
4 cups water, plus more for blanching the sweet lemons
pinch of sea salt
2 teaspoons limoncello

Rinse and dry the sweet lemons, trim off the stem ends, then cut each in half and pluck out the seeds.

Slice the sweet lemons as thinly as possible.  If you have trouble getting them very small, after slicing, you can use a chef’s knife to chop them to the right size. Don’t use a food processor, as that will make the marmalade muddy.

Put in a large pot, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Let boil for five minutes, then drain well.

Return the sweet lemons to the pot, add the sugar, 4 cups of water, and salt, and bring to a boil. Cook the sweet lemons, stirring occasionally, until the marmalade begins to set using the wrinkle test: turn the marmalade off and put a dab on a plate that’s been in the freezer then check it after five minutes; if it wrinkles when you nudge it, it’s done. If not, continue to cook, repeating this step, until it reaches the desired consistency.

Depending on the heat, the marmalade will take at least 30 minutes to reach this point, although if you’re used to making other jams, it will look slightly more liquid than others when done. You can also use a candy thermometer; the marmalade will be done when the temperature reaches around 218ºF (103ºC).

Once done, stir in the liqueur, if using, then ladle into clean jars and twist on the lids. Once cool, store in the refrigerator, where they’ll keep for at least six months.