Halve the lemons lengthwise and slice very
thinly. Aim to have slices 2 mm wide or less. As you
slice you need to remove all the seeds.
Place the lemon slices in a large heat proof
bowl and pour over the boiling water. Stand for 24 hours.
Pour contents of bowl into a large saucepan
and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and cook
for one hour without the lid on the pan.
Add the sugar and gently bring back to the
boil, stirring as the sugar dissolves. Again, don't place the
lid on the pot. Remove any scum if it
appears on the surface of the marmalade.
Boil for 30 minutes, carefully and
occasionally
stirring.
Place a teaspoonful of the hot marmalade on a
cold saucer. Pop the saucer in the fridge for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes tip the saucer to one side. If the
marmalade wrinkles on the surface then it is ready for bottling.
If it doesn't wrinkle then boil for a few minutes longer and try
again.
Carefully pour into hot jars. Seal whilst hot.
Makes 4 - 5 jars.
Notes:
If you have very thick skinned lemons you
may have to remove the yellow skin, slice it very thinly and
then discard a heap of the white pith from under the skin.
If you throw out a lot of pith you will need to adjust the
quantities of sugar and water to keep everything in balance.
Pouring boiling water
on the lemons and then standing them for 24 hours softens up
the skins.
Food Facts:
Lemons originated in China.
The Chinese emperors used to like lemonade. 1
medium lemon has 18 calories. Lemons contain
phosphorous, potassium, calcium, beta carotene
and fibre. The pectin in lemons has been shown
to reduce cholesterol levels. With a spoonful
of honey added a hot lemon drink is soothing to
those who have colds and sore throats.
