I recently discovered the website Food In Jars, and it's provided a lot of inspiration for me. Next summer, I'll be making a lot of the recipes on this site. I wish I could make them now, but there's not much in the garden to preserve!
There is, however, citrus. Winter is the time for lemons and oranges. We don't have any citrus trees on our property, but my very generous neighbor has a Meyer Lemon tree. She is always ok with me picking some. There always seem to be more than enough for everyone! I've been watching the lemons, waiting until they were ripe, to try a Meyer Lemon Jam recipe, sweetened with honey. I picked several pounds of lemons yesterday. They were just this side of ripe and probably could have used one more week on the tree.
Then I proceeded to make this very simple but very time-consuming jam recipe. The house smelled heavenly through all stages! And I ended up with 12 quarter pints and 3 half pints of jam. I have to say it tastes very strange to me, though - I don't know if it's that I'm not used to citrus jam, or slightly sour jam, or if it's that the recipe uses the peel and pith of the lemons, so there was a good deal of bitterness - maybe I just have an undeveloped palate? Will people like a slightly bitter, slightly sour, slightly sweet jam? I don't know.
One thing I do know is that it sure looks pretty.
Maybe this jam will be more for grilled chicken or fish, rather than buttered toast.
Has anyone made lemon jam before? If so, could you tell me how it turned out for you?
There is, however, citrus. Winter is the time for lemons and oranges. We don't have any citrus trees on our property, but my very generous neighbor has a Meyer Lemon tree. She is always ok with me picking some. There always seem to be more than enough for everyone! I've been watching the lemons, waiting until they were ripe, to try a Meyer Lemon Jam recipe, sweetened with honey. I picked several pounds of lemons yesterday. They were just this side of ripe and probably could have used one more week on the tree.
Then I proceeded to make this very simple but very time-consuming jam recipe. The house smelled heavenly through all stages! And I ended up with 12 quarter pints and 3 half pints of jam. I have to say it tastes very strange to me, though - I don't know if it's that I'm not used to citrus jam, or slightly sour jam, or if it's that the recipe uses the peel and pith of the lemons, so there was a good deal of bitterness - maybe I just have an undeveloped palate? Will people like a slightly bitter, slightly sour, slightly sweet jam? I don't know.
One thing I do know is that it sure looks pretty.
Maybe this jam will be more for grilled chicken or fish, rather than buttered toast.
Has anyone made lemon jam before? If so, could you tell me how it turned out for you?