The Canning Kitchen (11 page)

M
EYER
L
EMON
M
ARMALADE

Fragrant Meyer lemons have smooth, thin skins and are sweeter than common supermarket lemons, bringing a delicate floral note to this cheery marmalade. Spread a spoonful on a toasted English muffin or stir into hot tea for a comforting citrus warm-up.

MAKES FOUR 250 ML (1 CUP) JARS

2 lb (900 g) Meyer lemons

6 cups (1.5 L) water

4 cups (1 L) granulated sugar

Scrub the lemons under cool running water. Slice in half crosswise and juice thoroughly, pouring the juice into a large, heavy-bottomed pot and reserving the seeds in a medium bowl. Using a metal spoon, scrape out the membranes from the lemon halves and add to the seeds. Slice off the stem and blossom ends and add to the seeds. Slice all the peels into very thin strips.

Add the sliced peel and water to the pot. Place the reserved seeds, membranes, and stem and blossom ends on a double-layer square of cheesecloth. Bring up the edges and tie with kitchen string to form a secure pouch. Nestle the pouch into the pot. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, for 1 hour.

Scoop the pouch into a fine-mesh sieve and press on it with the back of a spoon to release the pectin-rich juices back into the pot. Discard the pouch. Stir in the sugar. Bring to a hard boil over highest heat and boil, stirring constantly, until it reaches the gel stage, which should take about 15 minutes (see “How to Test a Gel Set” on
page 7
). Remove from the heat.

Ladle into 4 clean 250 mL (1 cup) jars, leaving a ¼-inch (5 mm) headspace. Process in a boiling water bath canner for 15 minutes using the Processing Checklist on
page 17
.

TIP
Look for Meyer lemons that have shiny, bright yellow skins and are heavy for their size. Layering two at a time on the cutting board will make slicing the peels quicker.

A
PRICOT
L
EMON
M
ARMALADE

Anything made with apricots is an instant hit in my home, including this beautiful marmalade made with the juice and thinly sliced peel of lemons. For snacks and desserts, try it baked into oat squares or classic thumbprint cookies.

MAKES SEVEN 250 ML (1 CUP) JARS

2½ lb (1.125 kg) lemons

6 cups (1.5 L) water

2 cups (500 mL) finely diced apricots (unpeeled)

6 cups (1.5 L) granulated sugar

Scrub the lemons under cool running water. Cut in half crosswise and juice thoroughly, pouring the juice into a large, heavy-bottomed pot and saving the seeds in a medium bowl. Using a metal spoon, scrape out the membranes from about half of the lemon halves and add to the seeds. Slice off the stem and blossom ends of those halves and add to the seeds. Slice those peels into very thin strips until you have 2 cups (500 mL).

Add the sliced peel and water to the pot. Place the reserved seeds, membranes, stem and blossom ends and the remaining lemon halves on a double-layer square of cheesecloth. Bring up the edges and tie with kitchen string to form a secure pouch. Snuggle the pouch into the pot. Bring the works to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, for 1 hour.

Scoop the pouch into a fine-mesh sieve and press on it with the back of a spoon to release the pectin-rich juices back into the pot. Discard the pouch. Stir in the apricots and sugar. Bring to a full boil over highest heat, stirring frequently. Maintain a full foamy boil, stirring constantly, until it reaches the gel stage, which should take about 15 minutes (see “How to Test a Gel Set” on
page 7
). Remove from the heat.

Ladle into 7 clean 250 mL (1 cup) jars, leaving a ¼-inch (5 mm) headspace. Process in a boiling water bath canner for 15 minutes using the Processing Checklist on
page 17
.

TIP
Apricots have an all-too-short season, and canning while they’re available lets you indulge in their special flavour any time. You might even ask your local farm stand or greengrocer if a case price is available and make several apricot recipes at once.

C
OCONUT
L
IME
M
ARMALADE

Start the day with the fun pairing of coconut and lime in this tropical twist that even marmalade traditionalists will love. Enjoy on a toasted English muffin or buttered bagel or as a glaze for grilled chicken. This one is so good, you’ll want friends to have a jar too.

MAKES NINE 250 ML (1 CUP) JARS

3 lb (1.4 kg) limes

8 cups (2 L) water

6 cups (1.5 L) granulated sugar

1 cup (250 mL) sweetened shredded or flaked coconut

Scrub the limes under cool running water. Cut in half crosswise and juice thoroughly, pouring the juice into a large, heavy-bottomed pot. Using a metal spoon, scrape out the membranes and reserve in a small bowl. Slice off the stem and blossom ends and add them to the membranes. Slice the peels into very thin strips until you have 2 cups (500 mL).

Add the sliced peel and water to the pot. Place the reserved membranes, stem and blossom ends and any remaining peel on a double-layer square of cheesecloth. Bring up the edges and tie with kitchen string to form a secure pouch. Nestle the pouch into the pot. Bring the works to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, for 90 minutes.

Scoop the pouch into a fine-mesh sieve and press on it with the back of a spoon to release the pectin-rich juices back into the pot. Discard the pouch. Stir in the sugar and coconut. Bring to a full foamy boil over highest heat, stirring frequently. Maintain a full boil, still stirring frequently, until it reaches the gel stage, which should take about 10 minutes (see “How to Test a Gel Set” on
page 7
). Remove from the heat. Stir the marmalade for a couple of minutes, letting it cool just a little to prevent floating coconut.

Ladle into 9 clean 250 mL (1 cup) jars, leaving a ¼-inch (5 mm) headspace. Process in a boiling water bath canner for 15 minutes using the Processing Checklist on
page 17
.

TIP
Ripe limes should be shiny and firm but not overly hard. Choose limes with the fewest blemishes, since you’ll be using the peels in your marmalade.

B
LUEBERRY
O
RANGE
M
ARMALADE

Oranges and deeply coloured blueberries make for a fun and fruity marmalade that’s as delicious as it is beautiful. Spread on homemade blueberry muffins or hot raisin toast for breakfast or a snack. This one makes a lovely gift, but you’ll want to tuck away a few jars just for yourself.

MAKES SIX 250 ML (1 CUP) JARS

3 lb (1.4 kg) navel oranges (any variety)

6 cups (1.5 L) water

2 cups (500 mL) blueberries

6 cups (1.5 L) sugar

Scrub the oranges under cool running water. Slice in half crosswise and juice thoroughly, pouring the juice into a large, heavy-bottomed pot and saving the seeds in a medium bowl. Using a metal spoon, scrape out the membranes from the orange halves and add to the seeds. Trim off the stem and blossom ends and add to the seeds. Slice the peels into very thin strips until you have 2½ cups (625 mL).

Add the sliced peel and water to the pot. Place the saved seeds, membranes, stem and blossom ends and any remaining peel on a double-layer square of cheesecloth. Bring up the edges and tie with kitchen string to form a secure pouch. Nestle the pouch into the pot. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes.

Scoop the pouch into a fine-mesh sieve and press on it with the back of a spoon to release the pectin-rich juices back into the pot. Discard the pouch. Stir in the blueberries and sugar. Bring to a full foamy boil over highest heat, stirring frequently. Maintain a boil, still stirring frequently, until it reaches the gel stage, which should take about 20 to 25 minutes (see “How to Test a Gel Set” on
page 7
). Remove from the heat.

Ladle into 6 clean 250 mL (1 cup) jars, leaving a ¼-inch (5 mm) headspace. Process in a boiling water bath canner for 15 minutes using the Processing Checklist on
page 17
.

TIP
Look for plump, firm blueberries with a silvery sheen on the skins. Remove any stems and discard berries with broken skins. Blueberries freeze well, so it can be worth it to buy a large box when they’re in season and freeze for making jams, jellies and marmalades another day.

P
INEAPPLE
O
RANGE
M
ARMALADE

Tender bits of sweet and juicy pineapple are right at home in the marmalade jar. Add a tropical touch to toast and scones, or try a few spoonfuls of this sunny spread with a slice of rum-soaked pound cake for a sassy pineapple pick-me-up.

MAKES SIX 250 ML (1 CUP) JARS

2½ lb (1.125 kg) navel oranges

2½ cups (625 mL) finely diced fresh pineapple (about half a pineapple)

6 cups (1.5 L) water

6 cups (1.5 L) granulated sugar

Scrub the oranges under cool running water. Slice in half crosswise and juice thoroughly, pouring the juice into a large, heavy-bottomed pot and saving the seeds in a medium bowl. Using a metal spoon, scrape out the membranes from the orange halves and add to the seeds. Slice off the stem and blossom ends and add to the seeds. Slice the peels into very thin strips until you have 2½ cups (625 mL).

Add the sliced peel, pineapple and water to the pot. Place the saved seeds, membranes, stem and blossom ends and any remaining peel on a double-layer square of cheesecloth. Bring up the edges and tie with kitchen string to form a secure pouch. Nestle the pouch into the pot. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, for 1 hour.