One of the nice neighbors here in Windsor came over just before Thanksgiving with a big box of homegrown Meyer lemons. My ambitious d-i-l, Genevieve, had all sorts of ideas for these beauties. Right away she put them in glass vases and set them among greenery on the Thanksgiving table. Beautiful!.
Meyer lemons are a cross between oranges and lemons. They make for a bright yellow exterior and I find the interior very juicy. The juice is also a bit sweeter than other lemons. They grow very well here in Northern California. If you can find them and you love lemons, give them a try.
Genevieve’s biggest project was to experiment with jelly. She’d never made jelly before but had a great resource in the book Stocking Up: How To Preserve the Foods You Grow Naturally by Carol Happing Stoner.
This perfect recipe called for only three ingredients: lemon juice, honey and liquid pectin. Here’s how we made it:
- Wash and dry the lemons. Using a grater, remove the rind and set aside.
- Put the lemons in the juicer and extract and sieve the juice until you have 3/4 of a cup.
- Combine the juice with 2 1/2 cups of honey in a saucepan. Bring to a full rolling boil. (That means you can’t stir it down.)
- Add 1/2 cup of liquid pectin. (Available at most grocery stores in the jello/gelatin section. Be sure to get liquid.)
- Continue boiling and vigorously stirring for two more minutes.
- Pour the jelly mixture into hot, sterilized glass jars. Cover with paraffin.
Genevieve made two changes to this recipe. First she added the grated rind to the jelly just before pouring it into the jars. It made it similar to a marmalade. Second change: instead of covering the jelly with paraffin she covered the jars with lids and processed them in a water-bath canner for 30 minutes. Happily, they all popped (sealed) at the end.
Jelly really is that quick and easy to do. Genevieve bought cute little canning jars. Then she wrapped them up and gave jelly out to all the neighbors, relatives and friends at Christmas. They also make nice hostess or thank-you gifts. Genevieve did a good job of fulfilling the sort-of old adage, “When you are given lemons, make lemon jelly .”
Talking about food is a regular feature on my blog and on other blogs as well. Visit Beth Fish Reads for other bloggers who are participating in Weekend Cooking.
My mom grows Meyer lemons and Key Limes in Alabama and if I’m there when they come in, she always shares with me. I’m not nearly that creative with them, though.
Last year I got a lemon tree for myself for my birthday. It’s not a Meyer lemon tree but this one is a test. If it ever starts to bear fruit, I’ll branch out, so to speak, and try some others! They said it could take 3 years before it “adjusts,” but I am very impatient for some home grown citrus!
How wonderful to have fresh Meyer lemons and (if you’re Kathy) key limes. I don’t live in a citrus area, so I have to buy them at the store. They look so pretty in the glass vase!
I knew Meyer lemons were sweeter, but had no idea they were a cross between oranges and lemons. Thanks for teaching me something today!
I’ve always been intimidated by canning, and I would never think to make my own jelly…but three ingredients??!! That sounds like something I could handle!
So glad the Beef with Red Wine Sauce is in your rotation…it’s been one of my faves so far, too!
I’m with Jill, three ingredients sounds too easy not to try! And you could give your jelly away with a copy of the book too.
This sounds great!! My neighbor is going to show me how to can this summer!!! I’ve never done anything like this…and I’m pretty positive my lids won’t pop without some help!
I did know the lemon in a vase trick…a quick and pretty centerpiece with a few greens.
Lemon jelly…why have I never heard of this. Lemon marmalade sounds lovely.
Not that you can grow lemons in NJ.
I love the flavor of fresh lemons.
Wow the gift of homemade is always the best in my opinion.
Put me in the “I didn’t know a Meyer lemon was a cross between a lemon and an orange” camp!
I picked up some canning jars from Freecycle (in one of those “I’ve always wanted to try canning …” moments), but haven’t done anything with them yet. A 3-ingredient recipe is one I should be able to handle.
Thanks to you and Genevieve for sharing this.
Since you are using homegrown lemons, would you like to enter this post in our Grow Your Own roundup this month? Full Details at
http://chezannies.blogspot.com/2010/02/announcing-grow-your-own-39.html