Rosemary Infused Meyer Lemon Marmalade

This recipe was shared by CAA Contributor, Annette Cottrell, who lives in Seattle with her husband, two young boys, hairy dog, and backyard chickens. She has devoted the front and side yards of her quarter acre city lot to growing enough fruits and vegetables to feed her family year-round. She blogs about thoughtful, sustainable eating and provides tools and resources to others who want to make the journey from supermarket to local, farm fresh food one step at a time. In her spare time she runs Pollywog Baby, a website full of practical solutions for infant reflux and colic.

Rosemary Infused Meyer Lemon Marmalade
Makes 4 pints

Ingredients
8 organic Meyer lemons
6 cups cold water
Sugar
Clean rosemary sprigs

Wash the lemons and slice them thinly, removing only the center pith and any seeds. Using cup measures, measure the amount of fruit you now have. This measurement will come into play in a future step. You will need 2/3 cup of sugar for every cup of fruit you have.

Place the lemons in a large non-reactive bowl, cover with the water and let sit on the counter overnight.

The next day, simmer fruit and soaking water until the fruit is tender, about an hour and half to two hours. Now add your sugar (remember: you need 2/3 cup of sugar for every cup of fruit you had sliced in the earlier step).

Bring the fruit/sugar mixture to a boil and cook until you’ve reached the gel stage (about 220 F).

To check your gel, dip a cold metal spoon into the mixture. Tilt your spoon sideways over the sink. The mixture should “sheet” off the spoon in one large drop like a curtain. Another method of testing is to place a small saucer in the freezer. When the mixture is ready you should be able to place a spoonful on the saucer and return it to the freezer for one minute. If your mixture is ready it will wrinkle when you push the edge of it with your finger.

Fill sterilized jars with the hot marmalade, insert one or two clean rosemary sprigs and process in a water bath for 10 minutes. The longer the marmalade sits the less bitter it becomes and the stronger the rosemary flavor will be. Consume within one year.

For more information on hitting the gel stage, check out Annette’s article: Weather and How It Affects Hitting the Gel Stage.