Lemon Marmalade

Lemon marmalade makes a delicious change for your breakfast table. The combination of sharp and sweet makes this easy recipe a real winner. Unlike Seville oranges, lemons are in season all year, making this a great alternative when you run out of orange marmalade.

Lemon marmalade – traditional method

This delicious lemon marmalade makes a delicious change from the standard Seville orange marmalade.

It is made with the same method and will still give you a breakfast preserve with some bitterness and bite; one of my favourite times of day is enjoying toast, marmalade and a cup of coffee at the breakfast table.

Marmalade making is normally seasonal; a task for the beginning of the year during the brief Seville orange season. It’s the big question: how much to make so as not to run out over the year?

If you do run out, no worries! This recipe uses only lemons, water and sugar so can be made at any time of year.

See also

• Use my traditional Seville orange marmalade recipe for a delicious traditional orange preserve.
• If you prefer to use the electric pressure cooker, try Instant pot Seville orange marmalade.
• Grapefruit marmalade is another delicious alternative you can make all year round
• Read this guide on How to sterilize jars for jam and other preserves.

What is marmalade?

Marmalade is a preserve made from the juice and peel of citrus fruit.

The main difference between recipes for marmalade and other jams and jellies is the need for water in the recipe with two separate cooking stages, firstly a long one to soften the thick tough skins of the fruit, then a shorter one when the sugar is added to make the marmalade.

Seville oranges make the most common, traditional orange marmalade. In fact, in the UK, ‘marmalade’ is generally assumed to mean orange marmalade, but you can also make delicious marmalade from any citrus fruit, lemons, as we are doing here, grapefruit or limes.

How do I make lemon marmalade?

Making marmalade is similar to making any jam or jelly. You prepare and cook the fruit, then add sugar and then cook again to a temperature of around 105°C (221°F), the setting point to make the jam.

The main difference between marmalade and fruit jams is that the citrus peel in marmalade needs a lot more cooking than most fruit. The lemons will need to simmer for 2 hours to make the peel soft and edible.

The pith and pips from the lemon are not wanted in the final marmalade but contain pectin necessary to set it. They are cooked with the simmering fruit, tied into a muslin cloth so that they can easily be removed before the sugar is added.

Why make lemon marmalade?

• It’s delicious – refreshing, balanced and tangy, and a great change from the more usual orange marmalade

• It’s so much better than shop bought
  
• It can be made at any time of year, so no worries about running out

• It is the perfect hostess gift, especially for people who don’t make their own jams etc. You cannot easily buy lemon marmalade in the store.

Lemon marmalade ingredients

This recipe is so simple – only three ingredients!

• Lemons – just regular lemons. No need for anything special such as organic fruit. Ideally buy unwaxed lemons.

• Water – you need a lot of water to allow the peel to simmer long enough to cook until soft.

• Granulated sugar – used to sweeten and preserve the lemons rather than to add flavour. Use a cheap everyday granulated white sugar.

Sugar for jam making

99% of the time I use white granulated sugar when I preserve. It is cheap and readily available. I have never found any difference between cane and beet sugar. I’ll buy British beet sugar when I can.

Preserving sugar – is made from sugar with large sugar crystals which deserve slowly and in theory produce less froth and result in a clearer preserve. I have never noticed a difference so I stick to using the much cheaper granulated sugar.

Jam sugar – contains added pectin which helps a jam or jelly made with soft fruit which contains little pectin set. Lemons are high in pectin so you certainly do not need it here.

How to make traditional lemon marmalade – step by step

Before you start, read my step-by-step instructions, with photos, hints and tips so you can make this perfectly every time.

Scroll down for the recipe card with quantities and more tips at the bottom of the page.

Step One – Wash the lemons well, giving them a good scrub if they have been waxed. Then cut in half and juice.

The easiest way to juice is with an electric juicer, but if you don’t have one then a traditional manual juicer or reamer will also work perfectly well.

Helen’s Expert Tip
Use the heel of your hand to roll the lemon on the worktop before cutting exerting a medium pressure. This will enable you to get far more juice out.

Use a spoon to scoop the pith and seeds out of the juiced lemon halves

Step Two – Put all the pith and pips in a muslin cloth and tie it into a bundle with a clean piece of string.

The pith and pips are full of pectin which is needed for the marmalade to set.

• Want to learn more about the science how preserves set? Read our guide to pectin.

Step Three – Cut the tops and bottoms off the lemons and discard. Then slice the peel.

I find that the fastest way to do this is to cut each half peel into three, then stack the three strips on top of each other and cut across into narrow strips, or approximately the same size.

Marmalade can be thick cut or fine shred, so cut as you prefer.

I find that cutting by hand has the best results, the grater or slicer dish of a food processor cuts far too finely.

Step Four – Add the water, prepared peel, juice, and bag of pips and pith in a large preserving pan or Heat to a gentle simmer with the lid off.

You need a large pan here which holds about three times the volume you have at this stage.

Cook, for 2 hours, until the peel is soft, and the volume has reduced by about a third.

Helen’s Fuss Free Tip
Use a wooden spoon to measure the depth when you start cooking.

If you think the liquid is evaporating too quickly, you can cover most of the pan with some foil, or pop the lid on and leave ajar.

Step Five – Test by cutting the peel on a plate with a spoon. It should cut easily. Or once cool pick up a piece, it should be easily squashable between your fingers.

At this point you have the option to cover the pan and leave overnight and finish making the marmalade the next day. Or carry on …

Step Six – Remove the bag of pips and pith and squeeze the juice into the pan. Don’t skimp, as the juice in the bag is very rich in pectin. Take care if the mixture is still hot. I find the best method is to press the bag between two plates.

If you prefer, you can pre-warm the sugar in the oven to help it dissolve faster (although I never bother).

Now put the clean jars and lids into a low oven to warm and sterilize while you finish making the marmalade. More on how to sterilize jars here.

Step Seven – Add the sugar. It looks like a lot, especially if you have let the cooked peel cool. Don’t worry, as it will all dissolve. You need this much sugar offset the sharpness of the lemons to make a tasty marmalade.

Step Eight – Heat the mixture on a low heat to dissolve the sugar. Stir as the sugar dissolves. Taste the marmalade to check the balance of flavours. You can add a little more sugar if necessary.

Step Nine – Once the sugar has dissolved, turn heat up high, and keep stirring. The marmalade should be at a vigorous rolling boil.

Watch for a change in the way the bubbles form. This shows that you are getting to setting point. Cooking will take about 5–10 minutes once you start to boil the marmalade.

Step Ten – Now start checking to see if the marmalade has reached setting point. I use a digital probe thermometer to monitor the temperature, and test repeatedly with the flake or wrinkle test.

With experience, you will be able to see when homemade preserves are at setting point as the bubbles will change.

3 ways of testing marmalade setting points

1. The temperature test. Really accurate electronic jam thermometers are readily available, and not expensive. They are much easier to read than traditional thermometers. Heat the marmalade to 105°C and then look for a thickening of the liquid.
   Use temperature only as as a guide to setting point.
2. The wrinkle test. Place a couple of side plates in the freezer before you add the sugar. Once the marmalade is boiling, start testing by placing some on the plate. Allow it to cool and when you push your finger through the marmalade, if it’s setting you’ll see it wrinkle up a little ahead of your finger. This technique takes a bit of practice.
3. The flake test. Take a spoonful of marmalade from the pan and turn it vertically to tip it out. If the marmalade runs off quickly and completely it hasn’t set. If a little remains on the spoon in a sort of wide drip, then the marmalade is ready. Again, this works best with some practice. I find the best way is to test continually as the marmalade approaches 105°C. This makes it far easier to see the change in behaviour as you tip the spoon.

Read our complete guide to jam setting point for perfectly set marmalade every time.

Step Eleven – Allow your marmalade to cool for about 10 minutes, and then give it a good stir to distribute the peel evenly. This slight cooling allows the jelly to thicken just enough to stop the peel rising to the top.

Transfer your marmalade into the jars while it is still hot.

I like to keep the mess to a minimum by standing the jars in a roasting tray and ladling the marmalade into a sterilized Pyrex jug, before then filling the jars through a jam funnel.

Waterbathing Jams and Jellies
I am based in the UK, here we do not routinely waterbath high sugar preserves such as jams and jellies, nor is there any official advice to do so.
I’ve been making jam this way for over 30 years, it is how my mother and grandmother made jam and we have never had a problem.
Please do your own research, follow the guidance in your own country, as best practice may vary according to where you are located.

Finally, fit the lids and allow to cool completely. The lids will pop as the marmalade cools, letting you know that they have safely sealed.

How much lemon marmalade will this recipe yield?

This lemon marmalade recipe is based on 600g of lemons and 1.2 kg of sugar, which yields about 1.5 litres of marmalade, so 5 medium sized jars. Always sterilize and warm a few more jars than you think you will need.

Serving suggestions

Enjoy marmalade on your morning toast in the classic style. Pair it with sharp hard cheese, if you’re feeling daring.

Make a lemon marmalade cake rather than orange.

Melt it into a sweet sauce for pancakes and puddings.

Add it to delicious marinades.

Storage

Store marmalade in a cool dark cupboard. It will last for years unopened. Once opened, use within a few weeks.

Don’t keep unopened marmalade in the fridge. It is more liable to crystallise if you do, and this spoils the texture.

Ingredient ratios for traditional lemon marmalade

• Water – 2.5 litres of water per 1 kg of unpeeled lemons.
• Sugar – Double the weight of the lemons. The acidity and bitterness of lemons needs a lot more sugar than other jams – about twice as much. Taste, and add more sugar if you need to. Take care, as the mixture will be hot!

Variations

Add some ginger to the lemon before cooking to make lemon and ginger marmalade. Peel about 1″/2.5cm of ginger for 600g of lemons. Remove before transferring the marmalade to the jars.

Hints and tips

• Never try to pour hot preserves into cold jars. The shock can shatter them.

• You don’t have to add the sugar and set the marmalade right away. If you don’t have time to do it all in one go, you can peel and cook the lemons and then let them cool.
  Allow the mixture to stand overnight covered, with the bag of pith and pips left in the peel mixture. Remove as normal before adding the sugar.

• I find the easiest way to fill the jars is to ladle the marmalade into a Pyrex shatterproof glass jug, and pour it into the jam jars using a jam funnel.
  
  Allow the mixture to cool a little first – about 10 minutes. This lets it thicken slightly, which prevents the peel rising to the top of the jar.
  
  Fill to just touching the bottom of the funnel, which leaves a small gap at the top of the jar. I leave the jars in a roasting tin that I warmed them while I fill them to contain any drips.

• When preparing jam jars, it’s better to have too many than too few. Too many just means you don’t use one or two. Too few and you find yourself desperately trying to prepare jars as the marmalade cools.
  
  If you do find that you need an extra jar in a hurry, wash it thoroughly in hot water, rinse well and then warm with boiling water. Leave to stand for a minute or so. Empty out the water and shake out as much as possible. Don’t dry with a cloth, just fill the pot with marmalade. I set pots like this aside for first use.

FAQs

More jam and jelly recipes

We love to preserve and have so many recipes for jams and jellies, all with step by step instructions so you can successfully make jam batch after batch. If you like this lemon marmalade recipe have a look at all my jam and preserve recipes, with all my hints and tips gained from over three decades of preserving.