LEMON MARMALADE
The recipe was given to me by a friend over 40 years ago. The quantities can easily be changed as all the measurements are based on volume. I’ve learnt to choose large lemons in the early part of the season (June/July) when they have a good thickness of pith: 5-7mm. This provides the pectin, which enables one to reach a good setting point.
8 smooth-skinned lemons 2.5ml ( 1/2 tsp) bicarbonate of soda (no more than this) Water Sugar
Cut the fruit in half and squeeze out the juice and pips. Place juice and pips in a pot and bring to a simmer but don’t boil. Strain through a double thickness of muslin and retain the liquid. Cut each half lemon into 4 segments, then slice as finely as possible. Place any leftover small chunks in a small muslin bag and tie with string.
Measure the finely sliced rind using a cup and place in a preserving pan. Add 2 cups of water for every cup of rind. Add the bicarb and the strained juice. Dangle the muslin bag into the pan (a good deal of additional pectin will come out of the bag of chunks). Cover and leave to soak overnight.
Boil the mixture until the rind is soft — if it bites easily, the fruit is ready for the sugar.
Measure the hot mixture using a cup measurement. Return the mixture to the pan and to the stove. For every cup of pulp, add a cup of sugar. Stir continuously until the sugar has dissolved. Boil rapidly without any further stirring until setting point is reached.
To test for setting point, remove the marmalade from the stove and drip a little of the marmalade mixture onto a cold saucer (first place the saucer in a fridge/deep freeze for a minute or two). Gently push the cooled sample using your finger. If the surface crinkles then the marmalade is ready for bottling. If setting point has not been reached, return mixture to the stove and continue boiling. Continue testing for setting point at regular intervals. This is crucial because if the mixture is cooked beyond setting point it will never set. Bottle in hot sterilised bottles and seal immediately with lids that have been sterilised by boiling in water for 10 minutes. Allow to cool overnight, wash the bottles to remove any stickiness, and label.