One of the things that happens when I get close to a book deadline is that my life gets whittled down to the bare essentials. I work, I cook, I exercise, and I sleep. Things get very messy in my apartment, save for the moments of intense procrastination cleaning (the seams and edges of of my kitchen faucet have never sparkled so brightly).
Because the book I’m working on is not dedicated to preserving, my canning practice has really fallen flat in recent days. In fact, until I made this marmalade, it had been nearly a month since I’d canned anything. That’s the longest I’ve gone without firing up the water bath in the last decade.
However, no amount of book work is going to keep me away from Meyer lemon season. They’re only available for a short time each winter and since my order arrived from Lemon Ladies Orchard, I’ve been carving out little pockets of time to salt, dry, and preserve all that sunny lemon goodness.
For this batch of marmalade, I chose to boost the flavor with three ounces of finely grated ginger. I sometimes opt to add ginger flavor by juicing the ginger root, but because I’m short on time these days, I went for the quickest option that didn’t require cleaning another appliance.
I don’t mind having small bits of ginger flesh scattered throughout my marmalade. However, if you need the jelly component of your marmalade to be crystal clear, I suggest you make or buy ginger juice and use approximately 1/4 cup instead.
The other thing that got me excited to make this batch of marmalade was the fact that I had these snazzy Le Parfait 200 ml terrines in which to can it. I really enjoy using jars from Le Parfait because of their heft and sturdiness. They also make me feel instantly transported to Europe for far less money than a plane ticket.
Assembling Le Parfait jars for use is easy. Once you’ve given both the jars and the rubber gaskets a good washing with warm, soapy water, you fit the gaskets onto the lids, making sure that the easy-open tab is pointing off to the side of the jar (so that it doesn’t get in the way of the hinge or the clamp).
I warm them in my canning pot, and while filling take care to leave a little extra headspace, to ensure that there is plenty of space for the lids to close.
I’ve done a lot of writing about the art of making marmalade over the years, so I’m not going to rehash all those details here. If you’re coming to this post without ever having made marmalade before, I suggest you read these three posts before digging in.
Now, here is the fun part. I’ve partnered with my friends at Lemon Ladies Orchard and Le Parfait to offer a giveaway in conjunction with this post. Three lucky winners will get a Meyer lemon gift bag from Karen at Lemon Ladies containing three pounds of fruit and an eight-pack of 200 ml Le Parfait terrines (they hold about 7 ounces, just a touch less than a conventional half pint jar).
The giveaway runs until Sunday, February 4, 2018 at 12 noon Eastern time. Please use the widget below to enter!
Meyer Lemon Ginger Marmalade
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Meyer lemons preferably organic
- 4 cups water
- 4 cups granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup finely grated ginger
Instructions
- Wash the lemons. Cut away both the stem and blossom ends and slice each lemon into quarters. Cut away the thin strips of white pith from the interior of the wedges and use the tip of your knife to poke out the seeds. Cut each quarter into thin slices from top to bottom.
- Once all the lemons are sliced, place them in a bowl (along with any of their liquid that you were able to capture) and add 4 cups of water. Let the sliced lemons soak overnight.
- The next day, combine the lemons, soaking water, sugar, and ginger in a large, non-reactive pan.
- Place the pan on the stove and set the burner to high.
- Bring the contents of the pot to a boil and cook, stirring regularly, until the contents of the pot have reduced by at least half and are starting to shape up into marmalade. You may need to reduce the heat as cooking progresses so that you maintain a low boil without scorching the bottom of the pot.
- While the marmalade cooks, prepare a boiling water bath canner and 5 half pints.
- Test for set using both the plate and temperature tests (required temp is 220F).
- When you deem that the marmalade is done, remove the pot from the heat.
- Funnel the finished marmalade into the prepared jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace.
- Wipe the rims, apply the lids and rings, and process in a boiling water bath canner for 10 minutes.
- When the time is up, remove the jars and set them on a folded kitchen towel to cool. When the jars have cooled enough that you can comfortably handle them, check the seals. Sealed jars can be stored at room temperature for up to a year. Any unsealed jars should be refrigerated and used promptly.
Disclosure: Both Lemon Ladies Orchard and Le Parfait are providing the giveaway items at no cost to me. Le Parfait also provided the jars you see pictured here at no cost to me. No additional funds were provided. I paid for my lemons.
Meyer marmalade Meyer marmalade with ginger. Meyer lemon ginger concentrate preserved lemon slices. Honey lemon slices lemonade.. Meyer lemons curd.
I’m new to canning, but is it possible to can lemon curd for pies? I love making Lemon Meringue Pie and it’d be nice to have some ready made filling in the cupboard 🙂
I would use in a way to make a savory dish. I overloaded on sweets this year.
Excited to try some marmalade. I’ve never made this but it looks so easy to do! I saw meyer lemons in the store yesterday – I’m going back today to get some to make this!
I really enjoyed last year’s marmalade challenge but this year would want to try my hand at lemon curd.
Marmalade!
I’m going to pick up some meyer lemons today to make small batches of salt preserved lemons and lemon curd.
I can’t wait to make this, we had our kitchen torn up for the last month and now it’s back together. What a great time to make Marmalade.
More Meyer lemons would warrant more Meyer lemon syrup.
PERFECTION! I have so many Meyer lemons right now, I’m making this!!!
Make some curd and salted lemon’s!
Can’t wait to try this. I never had ginger in marmalade!
I love,love love marmalade!
Carol
time to make the marmalade!
I love Meyer lemon curd!
I have never used these, would be so excited to give it a try. I would use your method outlined before venturing out on my own.
I’ve hardly been canning this year, but I love marmalade, and meyer lemons would be perfect!
Marmalade, for sure!
Definitely make marmalade. The jars are beautiful!
I would preserve some. I also roast the whole fruit till soft. Then puree and run through a fine china cap. Then use the puree as a base for dressings, enhancements in braised dishes. I also use it in pastry delights as well.
I’d probably do marmalade, but if I got a wild hair…I just might try the salt preserved lemons. Thanks for offering this giveaway 🙂
I would love to experiment mixing white chocolate candies with the marmalade for summer treats
I am in love with those jars! I’ve already gotten my shipment of lemons and made lemon curd and marmelade, but love the idea of lemon ginger, so this is next on my list.
Ginger marmalade sounds great. I would also dehydrate for my tea, & juice some & freeze for lemonade.
Marmalade is the obvious choice for good reason!
Citrus jelly has always sounded intriguing, but I love marmalade as well. Those little jars are adorable!
I’d definitely make marmalade! I loved making it for the first time last January.
I can’t wait to try this recipe! Thank you to all for the opportunity to win supplies!
Mmmmm……I’d make the marmalade!
I love using meyer lemon zest for making limoncello & the juice in cakes and cocktails so that’s what I would do.
I would love to try a lemon concentrate like Angela mentioned! That sounds delicious!
I made meyer lemon concentrate one year and it was sooo delicious with sparkling water.
I have a question. Can I use this recipe to make 2 pint jars to put up, and the leftovers to put in the fridge for use right away? I don’t have any 1/2 pint jars. I have a several larger jars, so I’d rather use those. Do I do everything the same way, just swap out the jars? Thank you.
You can totally do that and the processing time will not change.
I’d love to try to make this marmalade. Or a mixed citrus marmalade or jam. It’s hard to track down Meyer Lemons locally here in Maryland.
Perfect timing. I just bought a couple bags of Meyer Lemons. They don’t keep long so I need to use them before they start going bad. Thanks!
Definately marmalade! and a tiny bit of lemon cleaner :0)
Lemon marmalade
Lemons and Ginger! Wonderful❤️❤️❤️
I have never put up lemons, but would like to try marmalade
Meyer lemons are both exotic and fabulous for this Great Lakes cook. I adore lemons!
Love Myer lemons!
Definitely trying the ginger lemon marmalade!
Marmalade!
I’d make marmalade!
I bet the smell is amazing!
That marmalade recipe looks like the PERFECT way to preserve the lemons AND use the jars!
what a lovely giveaway. I love making marmalade, and eating it, and baking with it…..
I would try a lemon marmalade. I usually use up lemons before I need to preserve them, or I dry slices. I’ve never made lemon marmalade, just orange.
I would do just what you did and make marmalade then I’d have to make some lemon curd out of the rest!!
I would make preserved lemons or candied peels, or marmalade.
Will be sure to try this ‘new’ marmalade. It sure looks yummy and, a giveaway too. Now, how cool is that.
I would love to make this recipe!
I would go with marmalade; probably mixed with some calamondins and grapefruit to make a mixed citrus marm
I would love to try making this marmalade. I’ve never made it from Meyer lemons before. Thanks for the giveaway!
Thank you for the heads up on Meyer lemon season. I will keep an eye out for them at the grocery store. Last year I used them to make some lemon curd and it was exquisite. Perhaps if I win this prize package I will get brave enough to attempt a marmalade, I keep promising myself that at some point I will.
I love meyer lemons. I love preserved lemons, marmalade, squeezed over green beans!
Lemons — enough said!!
I would make this recipe. It sounds scrumptious!
Your marmalade posts got me from marmalade failures to marmalade joy.
Thanks!
Looks fabulous! The lemon trees around here have been producing like crazy! I have a couple of different sources and love coming home to bags of lemons on my porch. My last batch was the whole fruit lemon jam and my husband tried it for the first time. It was a hit 8^)
I would absolutely make marmalade. I had never even heard of lemon marmalade until last year’s marmalade month. It sounds so good! Those jars . . . ! I agree–I’d feel just like I was in Europe.
I’m not sure what I’d do with them. I’ve always skipped over Meyer lemon recipes in my cookbooks because I don’t ever have them. I’ll have to spend some time looking through all the options, but I do love lemon curd…
this marmalade souinds wonderful!
I’m not familiar with Meyer lemons, but I would definitely like to make the above recipe.
Marmalade, without a doubt.
Lemon curd filling in a lemon cake. This would be so yummy!!
Looks AMAZING and would love to try and make!
Thanks for sharing!
another try at marmalade – last time was delicious, but gelled too much!
I would make marmalade. I have never had luck making it but would certainly try!
I’m excited to try this recipe with Meyer lemons, which we don seem to get around here in the northeast!
Thank you for this recipe! I have struggled with my Meyer Lemon marmalade being too set, so it looks like the key is no pectin!
Love to try this recipe–lemon and ginger–yum!
I have always wanted to make meyer lemon curd and marmalade – so I’d probably make both!
I wish I had more time in the winter to do canning.
I love making meyer lemon curd, meyer lemon marmalade and apricot meyer lemon whole fruit jam. They are a bit hard to come by here in Idaho, but our local food CoOp produce manager helps me out every year.
The jars are gorgeous! I tried Meyer lemon marmalade for the first time this year and loved it.
These are such beautiful jars. I love marmalade, and I love ginger – will definitely be doing this recipe, ginger chunks and all!
I was just given a big bag of Meyer lemons from a friend and marmalade was on the list along with your caramelized Meyer lemon syrup…which is absolutely delicious!!!
I’d love to give marmalade a try. I have never done this before.
I love Meyer lemons enough to sprinkle them with sugar and eat them for dessert!
I do love citrus season. last year I made a grapefruit marmalade and a tangerine lime curd.
I would make lemon curd and try your marmalade recipe.
I love making lemon curd too during Meyer Lemon season. The salt preserved lemons I made were extremely salty.
I love Meyer Lemons. I love to salt preserve them and I love caramelized Meyer lemon syrup
I LOVE Meyer lemons! I think I need to dust off my canning equipment from the summer….
Those terrines are just lovely!
Sign me up – this sounds delicious!
I am in love with th little jars and those lemons but can’t get the widget to work…so sad… your recipe sounds wonderful.
Meyer lemons sound fabulous!
Would love to try these.
i can’t get the rafflecopter widget to load.
I would love to make some Lemon Curd and these this prize would be perfect for it.
I did curd already but I’d love to do marmalade this year! No Rafflecopter, though.
I planted a Meyer Lemon tree last March. I hope it will be ok after the freeze this winter. Marmalade is on my bucket list.
This sounds delicious! I love Meyer Lemon season.
I just bought some Meyer lemons and am excited to use your recipe to make a new twist on my marmalade! I don’t see a Rafflecopter entry widget anywhere…am I missing something? I’d love to participate in the giveaway!
This sounds delicious – and cirus makes winter so much better! Those jars are adorable, too.
I like the sound of this recipe, something to zing up toast in the cold months. Count me in.
Lemon curd – I have never made it and wanted to try it this year!
I love meyer lemons. Over the years I have made Meyer Lemon Marmalade, Strawberry Meyer Lemon Marmalade and jam, Meyer Lemon Tangerine Marmalade, added meyer lemons to blueberry jam, blackberry jam, fig jam, etc. I have dehydrated them so I would have rings to put into my tea when fresh were not available. I have ground them up and made meyer lemon salt, meyer lemon sugar. And for a special treat I candied them.
I would have to make this delicious sounding marmalade, but I’ve also always wanted to try salt preserving lemons!