I’ve been a little off my preserving game of late. My pantry is still full to bursting, so I haven’t had much in the way of motivation to make anything new (though truly, that’s never stopped me before). Add to the fact this is one of the least interesting times of the year for produce, and it’s been at least two weeks since I pulled my canning pot out of the cabinet.
Even my annual box of Meyer lemons from the Lemon Ladies failed to motivate me fully. I made jam and curd, but beyond that, I’ve been keeping the bulk of my lemons in my crisper drawer, waiting for inspiration.
Knowing that my busy season is coming, I finally turned my attention to those lemons today. As I pondered them, I realized that I was experiencing something akin to writer’s block, only with preserves. I put a lot of pressure on myself to come up with interesting and novel recipes, and those expectations were tangling me up but good.
As soon as I understood what was going on, I decided to let myself entirely off the hook. I released my crazy expectations and spent a moment thinking about what I could make from those lemons that I would most use and enjoy. After about two seconds, I realized that was I most wanted was a batch of Meyer lemon syrup.
Think of this like lemonade concentrate. It’s tangy first, sweet second, and is one of my favorite things drizzled into a glass of iced sparkling water. Cathartic canning, at its best.
Also! Once all your lemons are juiced, gather up the peels, push them into a large jar, and cover them with white vinegar. Let them sit for awhile, until the vinegar is infused with the lemon essence. Use it for household cleaning.
Meyer Lemon Syrup
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 pounds Meyer lemons
- 2 cups sugar
Instructions
- Prepare a boiling water bath canner and four half pint jars. Place lids in a small saucepan and bring to a low simmer.
- Juice the lemons and measure out 2 1/2 cups of juice. Pour it into a saucepan and add the sugar.
- Stir to combine, bring to a boil and simmer for two minutes.
- Funnel into the prepared jars, wipe rims, apply lids and rings, and process in a boiling water bath canner for 10 minutes.
- When time is up, remove jars from canner and let cool. Sealed jars are shelf stable for up to one year.
Thanks for sharing this. I never even thought of lemon syrup. I imagine it tastes really good with poppyseed muffins.
Can I add limes to this recipe for lemon lime syrup and can itstill be canned ?
Yes.
This is exactly what I’ve been wanting. Thanks!
Oh, Yes! I love this. You’re an angel.
Great syrup recipe and cleaning solution as well.
Thank you.
Eww, I can’t bear sweet lemon things, but wanted to say that I am very excited by the email from Amazon that I got today that advised that your new book has been shipped and I’ll get it tomorrow!
Despite the amount of sugar in this recipe, it’s actually not aggressively sweet. That said, you know your tastes best, so it’s probably not the right recipe for you!
I hope you enjoy the new book!
Thanks for posting this! I got a big crate of Meyer Lemons too and I’ve made citrus bread, lemon curd, and several lemon based cocktails, but I still have a bunch of lemons left. This syrup sounds like a great idea!
Yum-o! Thanks for sharing this….even the peel idea is wonderful 🙂
I grow Meyer lemons and have made everything I can think of with them. I have never thought of a syrup and can’t wait to make this.
I’ve never heard of lemon syrup – but, I bet it’s delicious drizzled over vanilla bean ice cream! Thanks for the great idea.
I made some Meyer lemon syrup for the fridge, using the peel not the juice … never occurred to me you could can it!!!
Shameless plug for my own blog … a cocktail using this lovely syrup:
http://www.michellematlack.com/blog/2014/02/11/im-back-with-some-lemony-gingery-goodness/
I have been making my own syrups lately, too! I received a Sodastream for Christmas and all their syrups have Sucralose, which I am allergic to. So far, I have made Meyer lemon, clementine and ginger lime surups. Really fun, and the kids like it, too! I also used the zest to make Meyer lemon extract and clementine extract for baking.
Thanks for the inspiration!
I love all things lemon! I’ve made two batches of the honey sweetened Meyer lemon jam (planning on using part of the second batch for jam-filled bar cookies.) This sounds like another fantastic way to use lemons. I’m thinking that I might zest them before juicing and then put them in the vinegar… that lemony salt looked pretty good too… Yum!
Wow, from canner’s block to liquid sunshine – that should cheer you up!
OOo! Perfect for cocktails! Why have I never thought of this? Thank you for the recipe. 🙂
I tried making meyer lemon jam last year and it didn’t set. I found posted somewhere that I should have added a bit of water. It was a happy accident because I’ve been using it in my home made greek yogurt. Yum!
Ok, made it! And it is wonderful. It is definitely not too sweet – it would make the ULTIMATE whiskey sour. Also makes wonderful Italian soda. It did foam up on me a ton and wanted to overflow at first – I’ve never figured out why some things do that and others don’t. I didn’t bother to can it, because I don’t think it’s going to last that long. 🙂 Next batch I’m trying with a little cardamom!
I have some naval oranges to use up, could I sub them for the lemons and still be able to can them? Would I need to reduce the sugar since they’re sweeter than lemons are?
hmmmm I wonder if its not too late to get my hands on some meyer lemons
Boy was this syrup easy to make. It tastes delicious. I’m going to put some in my yogurt. Thank you so much for the recipe. This, I’m going to make every year!
This is great, I can already think of many recipes I could add this too.
I would love to try canning in small batches! This would really fit my lifestyle.
It is so pretty! I can’t wait to try this! Wow! I have just started delving into canning and have so many ideas i want to try already. Is there a cheaper source to buy canning jars than just at the grocery store?
You can check local hardware stores and watch for sales, but canning jars are generally right around the same price no matter where you buy them. During the summer months, watch the circulars as jars typically go on sale.
Would regular lemons work with this recipe if I can’t find meyer lemons? Thanks!
Yes.
I love this delicious Meyer Lemon syrup, and its very easy to make a few jars when you have a pound or so, no need to wait for a whole case shipment! I loved the tip about drying the peels, although I do enjoy steeping my juiced lemon halves in vodka, rather than vinegar, to make a tasty beverage, rather than a cleaning product!
Hi Marisa, I’m just about to try your recipe for strawberry syrup from your first book. I’m just wondering if there would be any advantage/disadvantage to somehow using my juicer to juice the berries before mixing them with a bit of water. I was wondering if that might make the syrup end up a bit too cloudy. Any thoughts on this?
It’s totally fine to use a juicer. I just didn’t have one when I was writing the book, and so shared how I typically did it.
Can I use oranges to do this instead of lemons?
Definitely making this with my meyer lemons. I also have a lime tree…. Can I also substitute limes and follow the canning instructions?
Gonna try this recipe today, but as i read about canning block I wondered,…. have you ever heard of or made lemon marmalade? I wonder if it would be good or if it would be too sour – Any ideas
I’ve made lemon marmalade many times. There are recipes in all three of my cookbooks.
This meyer lemon syrup is awesome. I’ve gifted it with a tag that states you can mix 1 cup syrup with 4 parts water to make lemonade.
I made it as written but didnt go thru with the canning step. An ounce or so added to ice water makes perfect delish lemonade! Glad to find this as I wanted a process to boil the juice since the fruit was frost-damaged and had bacteria/mold started on some of it. Thanks for this!
Contrary to your previous response. No, it is never safe to can something that’s been though a juicer. It infuses air into the liquid that can’t be safely removed during the canning process effecting both the real head space and therefore full air evacuation. This process can create several consequences. Better safe and properly sealed, than sorry with lost product.
This recipe calls for the lemon juice to be brought to a boil. That process would release any trapped air. I’ve been working in this area for a decade and I’ve never heard of this prohibition. Can you offer documentation?
How much head space?
Half an inch. If a recipe doesn’t indicate, that’s always an acceptable default.
I’ve just made 12 half pints of various forms of Meyer Marmalades to help deal with the tree in my backyard. This is going to be a great and quick break from that! Thank you!
This is more like a simple sugar water syrup. Real lemon syrup needs to be less runny, which requires higher temps and more time.
This is a syrup for cocktails and to add to sparkling water, not one for use on pancakes and the like. I find that the finished texture is ideal for the intended uses.
Not related to Meyer Lemons but a simple syrup question: I live in the PNW and recently made a batch of fir tip simple syrup (for cocktails). Can I can this in the same way as your above recipe to preserve for year round use? We just harvest the tips in early Spring so “‘Tis the Season” I guess my question is really more along the lines of is 10 minutes processing time kinda the standard for simple syrups? THANK YOU for all your info, I’m so happy I have found you. This is my second year of canning and still so in love with it.
The difference between your fir tip syrup and this one is the acid content. You need to acidify your fir tip syrup in order to make it safe for canning. Citric acid is your best bet for this.
Hi Marissa:
I have been making the syrup for a few years now. I’m not supposed to have tea or coffee, so I make a cup of
boiling water and add the syrup to it. Makes a wonderful hot drink.
Thanks for this recipe! I actually have a whole bunch of blood oranges that I wanted to do something with before they all fall off the tree and this will go nicely with the the blood orangecello I have steeping, as gifts, I can give both Blood Orange syrup and Blood Orangecello to make the perfect cocktails!
I am so happy this recipe provided a useful template! Blood orange syrup sounds delicious!
If I wanted to can this in larger jars, would the processing time change?
The processing time is the same for pints and half pints. I wouldn’t can this in anything larger than a pint.