Lemon Marmalade has always been a favourite with my parents, my father in particular. He has been without his homemade breakfast condiment for a few weeks now and has politely let us know that a jar of shop-bought marmalade is not on his agenda.
As fortune would have it, a friend presented me with some beautiful, homegrown lemons and I have set to work. This is a classic method of making marmalade. It requires just three ingredients, and one of them is water. That is all that you need to make this fresh-flavoured condiment.
If you think that making marmalade is difficult, I want to assure you that it is easier than you may think. Although there is a great deal of science involved, it just requires that you follow a few simple steps.
Let me tell you a little about Marmalade:
Marmalade is a favoured preserve on many breakfast tables. It’s easy to appreciate that this zesty, tangy preserve is a great way to start the day.
Marmalade is only made from citrus fruits, unlike jam, which can be made from any variety of fruit. Moreover, citrus fruits are rich in naturally occurring pectin. High amounts of pectin and acid, such as in citrus, help the marmalade to set, making it ideal for preserving. As such, it is not necessary to buy special jam-setting sugar.
I regard homemade jams and spreads as luxury items. It’s not that they are expensive to make, especially when the fruit is a gift, but there is an investment of time. However, having jars of marmalade that you have made yourself is tremendously satisfying.
The flavours are bright and clear and remember, there are just three ingredients. Compare that with the labels of some commercial varieties which often have a large range of additives.
Ingredients in my Three Ingredient Lemon Marmalade:
Lemons:
Given that we will be using the entire fruit, it is preferable to use home-grown or organic lemons. Commercially produced lemons generally have a wax coating and may have been sprayed.
Sugar:
I use regular, granulated sugar. It is a large amount of sugar but it does much more than sweeten the marmalade. Its main function is to combine with the pectin and fruit acids to form a gel. In addition, it acts as a preservative that inhibits the growth of mould.
I don’t recommend reducing the amount of sugar as it may interfere with the setting and preservation.
Water:
I have used filtered water but regular tap water is also fine.
How to make Three Ingredient Lemon Marmalade:
Making the marmalade is a two-day process. On the first day, you slice the lemons very finely and put them into a large bowl with water to soak overnight. Soaking the fruit serves two purposes.
Firstly, it softens the peel and secondly, it helps release the pectin required for setting the jam. On day two you cook the fruit and add the sugar.
When setting point is reached, as outlined in the recipe instructions, I remove the saucepan from the heat and set it aside for 10 minutes. This will help the fruit to settle and evenly distribute when poured into the jars.
Without settling, the fruit will rise to the top of the marmalade. And finally, ladle it into jars and smile with satisfaction at the result.
Tips for success:
You will not need any special equipment to make this recipe. However, a large saucepan is essential. When you add the sugar, it foams up enormously. Without a very large saucepan, there is the risk of it boiling over.
Your jars and their lids must be sterilised. I do this by heating them in the oven as outlined in the recipe.
As we are using the whole fruit, it is best to use organic or home-grown fruit. However, if you are only able to access commercially grown lemons, they need to be thoroughly cleaned.
Always use fruit which is in good condition and ideally some which are slightly under-ripe as they will contain more pectin. Bruised or damaged fruit may spoil the jam, causing it to deteriorate quickly.
It is important to cook the peel until it is tender before you add the sugar. Once you add the sugar the peel will no longer soften. After adding the sugar it is necessary to completely dissolve it before bringing the mixture back to the boil.
I find it best to check for setting point by checking a small amount of marmalade on a chilled plate. I use the “wrinkle” test, as detailed in the recipe. After reaching setting point, set the marmalade aside for 10 minutes to allow the fruit to settle.
Ladle the marmalade into hot jars to avoid the glass breaking.
Other uses for these ingredients:
We love lemons, and some of our other favourite ways to use them are:
- Individual Lemon Curd Meringues
- Classic Lemon Curd
- Gluten-Free Lemon Madeleines
- Belgian Lemon Tea Cake
- Quick and Easy Lemon Ice Cream
More delicious condiments and edible gift ideas:
- Apricot Jam
- Fresh Peach Chutney
- Easy Plum Jam
- Classic Lemon Curd
- Dill Pickled Cucumbers
- Sweet Chilli Sauce
- Balsamic Glaze
- Preserved Chillies in Oil
When it comes to using the Lemon Marmalade:
First and foremost, this bright and zesty condiment with the zingy flavour of lemon is a great wake-up call, perfect when slathered on your morning toast.
However, there are other ways in which to use it:
- A sticky glaze for chicken drumsticks;
- Make a sauce for pork tenderloin;
- Glaze a Christmas ham;
- Make crostini with goat cheese and prosciutto;
- Bake a lemon cake and make a glaze with the marmalade;
- Serve with Coconut Scones by A Baking Journey.
This refreshing condiment highlights the bright, tangy flavours of lemon. Although it is an ideal toast topping there are other ways in which to enjoy this condiment.
When you try it you will realise that there is no comparison between homemade marmalade and the commercially produced varieties.
Do let me know in the comments below when you have tried this delicious recipe.
Alex xx
Three Ingredient Lemon Marmalade
Equipment
- 9 x 250ml Jars
Recipe Measurements:
For accuracy, when weights are provided, we recommend weighing your ingredients. This will produce the best results.
Ingredients
- 500 g (17.5 ounces) lemons See Notes 1 & 2
- 6 cups (1.5 litre) water
- 8 cups (1.8kg) sugar
Instructions
To sterilise the jars:
- Preheat the oven to 130 Degrees C (270F).Use glass jars with an airtight, metal lid. Wash them either in the dishwasher or by hand in hot soapy water, and rinse well. Check that the metal lids do not have rubber inserts. (See Note 9)
- Place upright jars and lids on a baking tray. Heat in the oven for at least 20 minutes, then remove and immediately fill with marmalade.
Marmalade:
- Place 2 saucers or small plates in the freezer, ready to check for the setting point of your marmalade.
- Thoroughly wash the lemons. Remove each end of the lemons and cut the lemons into quarters lengthways. Holding two of the quarters together, slice as thinly as possible and remove any seeds.
- Place the lemon slices in a non-reactive bowl. See Note 3. Add 6 cups of water, cover the bowl and leave the lemons to stand overnight.
- The following day, place the lemons and water into a large, non-reactive saucepan. – See Note 4.
- Over medium-high heat, bring the fruit and water to the boil. Boil for approximately 15 minutes or until the lemon peel is tender, stirring occasionally with a long-handled wooden spoon. – See Note 5. The time may vary slightly depending on the variety of lemon and the thickness of the slices.
- Add the sugar and stir well to dissolve it. After dissolving the sugar, return the fruit to the boil, stir occasionally and skim to remove any foam. Continue to stir until the marmalade reaches setting point, about 20 minutes. – See Note 6Remove from the heat to conduct the wrinkle test. If not set, continue to boil for another 1 minute and then test again.
- To test for setting point, I use the “wrinkle” test. Take one of your saucers from the freezer and pour a small amount of marmalade onto it. Let it cool for a minute then push against the marmalade with the tip of your finger. If the surface wrinkles it means setting point has been reached. Alternatively, if you are not confident checking this way or are not experienced at making marmalade, you can use the fail-safe method of using a jam/candy thermometer which you clip to the side of your saucepan. When attaching your thermometer, make sure that the base is not touching the bottom of the saucepan. Your marmalade has reached setting point when the temperature reaches 104.5 degree C or 220 degrees F. It will still be liquid at this point, and will set as it cools.
- Take the mixture off the heat and let the marmalade stand for about 10 minutes. This will help evenly distribute the fruit throughout the jars.
- Remove your jars from the oven and carefully ladle the marmalade into the heated, sterilised jars. You need to be very careful. Splashing yourself with hot marmalade will result in a very serious burn. I suggest you have clothing with long sleeves and ensure that you do not have children nearby. Put lids on jars immediately, and seal well – being careful to use a cloth or oven gloves to handle the jars/lids.
Video
Notes
- The weight of the lemons, before trimming the ends and removing the seeds, was 530 gm/1.2 lbs. We use Eureka or Lisbon lemons for this recipe.
- As the peel is such an important part of the marmalade, I like to use organic or home-grown lemons. Commercially produced lemons generally have a wax coating and may have been sprayed. If this is all that you can obtain, you can clean the lemons by placing them in a colander and pouring over freshly boiled water. Then, scrub them gently with a nail brush while holding them under cold running water.
- Non-reactive bowls and saucepans are stainless steel, glass, ceramic or enamelled cookware. Aluminium, copper and iron bowls or pans are reactive. Acidic foods, such as lemons, may discolour and take on a metallic taste if these are used.
- A large saucepan is essential. When you add the sugar, it foams up enormously. Without a very large saucepan, there is the risk of it boiling over.
- To stir, use a long-handled wooden spoon. Metal will become dangerously hot.
- Boiling time depends on several factors, the width of your saucepan and the heat at which the fruit is boiled.
- The Marmalade will be shelf stable for approximately 12 months.
- Your marmalade will be very liquid when you add it to the jars so please don’t be concerned. It will continue to thicken as it cools. Leave it for 24-48 hours and then check again. If it is still runny, you can re-boil the marmalade. Empty the contents of the jars back into the saucepan and bring to a boil. To increase the pectin and help the marmalade to set, you can add the juice of half a lemon. Boil for a few minutes and test again.However, if the marmalade was initially boiled too long, it can still result in it not setting as the pectin may have been damaged.
- Properly sterilising your jars is an essential process to remove bacteria which could cause your preserves to spoil. I prefer to sterilise jars in the oven. To do this, preheat your oven to 130 Degrees C (270F). Use glass jars with an airtight, metal lid. If recycling jars, ensure that the jars do not have cracks or chips and the lids are in good condition. Discard any lids that are pitted or rusted. Wash the jars and lids either in the dishwasher or by hand in hot soapy water, and rinse well. Do not dry them with a tea towel. Place upright jars and lids on a baking tray. If you are using kilner jars with rubber seals, be sure to remove the seals before placing the jars in the oven. The dry heat of the oven would damage the seals. Boil the seals separately in a saucepan for about 10 minutes. Heat the jars in the oven for at least 20 minutes. When your preserves are ready to bottle, use thick oven mits or jar tongs to remove the jars. Do not place them on a cold surface as they may shatter. I place mine on a wooden chopping board which I cover with a tea towel. Always sterilise a few more jars than you think you will need. It is better to have too many jars than not enough.
- Please note, the nutritional information is based on one 250ml jar. Please take this into account, as you most likely won’t be consuming a whole jar in one sitting. The nutritional information is an estimate only.
Nutrition Estimate:
Nutritional Disclaimer:
The nutritional information is an estimate only, and is derived from online calculators. For accurate results, we recommend calculating the nutritional information based on the ingredients and brands you use.
Ruth Stice
I made this ; I love how simple it is to make delicious lemon marmalade! Thank you for sharing the recipe. I I only had a few jars, so I made half a recipe, but it came out beautifully.
Alexandra
Hi Ruth, I am so happy to hear that you enjoy the Lemon Marmalade; there is nothing quite like homemade. Thank you for taking the time to let me know. 🙂
Andrea
Wonderful, easy to follow recipe.
Alexandra
Hi Andrea, I am so pleased that you enjoy our Lemon Marmalade and appreciate that you took the time to let me know. 🙂
Batya
I’m using your recipe . Right now they are soaking overnight. But I’m using mini lemons from my neighbors tree. Similar in size to kumquats. They don’t have much pith on them . So I’m debating if I need all the sugar. What do you think?
Alexandra
Hello Batya, yes, I would recommend that you use all the sugar. It has an important role in helping the marmalade reach setting point and in keeping it shelf-stable. I hope you enjoy it. 🙂
Jeanne Walton
Hi, can this be cooked to 223 degrees Fahrenheit so the texture is a little firmer?
Thank you!
Alexandra
Hi Jeanne, thanks for your question! Firstly, I would like to say that this recipe is for soft-set marmalade. You could take your marmalade to 223F for a firmer set but would need to be careful to not go higher as you would risk damaging the pectin and having the marmalade not set at all. I hope this helps Jeanne. Kind regards, Alex 🙂
Tess
Hi Alexandra,
The recipes I have read calls for removing the pith to prevent bitterness. I do not see that in your recipe. Do you discern some bitter notes in your marmalade? I am planning to make some and am thinking of trying your recipe out.
Alexandra
Hi Tess, we don’t remove the pith in this recipe as it plays an important role in helping the Marmalade to set (the pith is high in pectin.) This recipe uses a generous amount of water and soaking the peel overnight in the water releases the pectin, softens the peel and mellows the flavour. Please let me know if you try it. Kind regards, Alex
Paolo
Great recipe! I have just made finished doing it and it is colling down. I had tried quite a few in the past but, preliminarily this is possibly the best i have tried to make. I have only brought few changes: I put all the pips, the discarded tips and other stuff removed from the lemons in a sterile gauze and put it in the water to release also the pectin. Before boiling on the second day i squeezed it and let all the pectin drip into the water. Doing so has allowed me to decrease the quantity of sugar (a bit less than 1500 g). At the end i tested the marmalade and it had 65-66 brix (65-66% sugar) which is perfect for long conservation. And i think i should have stopped boiling it few minutes earlier as i prefer it a bit less sweet.
One question for next time I’ll do it: I’d like to increase the ratio lemon to water – say 500g lemon to 1-1.2 liter water. Did you try this? How should i adjust the sugar quantity?
Thanks for a beautiful recipe. I’ll also try the still unpublished Orange marmalade next weekend and then let you know
Alexandra
Hi Paolo, thank you so much for your fantastic feedback. I am delighted to know that you enjoyed the Lemon Marmalade and are planning to make more. However, I am not able to advise you about changing the lemon:water ratio. This is an old family recipe that has been handed down through generations and I have only made it as written. I hope that you also enjoy the orange marmalade. Best wishes, Alex 🙂
Genevieve
I had always wanted to learn how to make marmalade and came across this recipe. I had a lot of lemons to use up and made two batches. Delicious! Can’t wait to share some jars with family and friends too!
Alexandra
Hi Genevieve, I am so pleased that you enjoyed making the Lemon Marmalade. It’s such a pleasure to be able to share some homemade produce with others. 🙂
Lynn
Quick question- I am in the process of making this marmalade- sliced lemons are soaking overnight…. Your recipe is clear and easy to follow. I’m a little confused by the proportions of fruit to sugar. Is it correct that the fruit to sugar ratio here is just under 1:4? I thought the ratio should be 1:1. Just want to be sure before I add sugar and cook tomorrow…thanks!
Alexandra
Hi Lynn,
Yes, the quantities of the recipe are correct. We use a higher water ratio and retain the soaking water for the cooking process, which does mean the quantity of sugar is higher than in some recipes. (Such as a traditional a jam recipe.)
I hope you’ll enjoy your marmalade – it is a recipe that my family has been making for generations 🙂
Kind regards, Alex
Agnieszka
This recipe is genius! So easy and delicious. Definitely making this marmalade again. My kids love it on toast.
Alexandra
Hi Agnieszka, I am so pleased that you and your family enjoy the Lemon Marmalade. Thank you for taking the time to let me know. 🙂
Addie
So easy and way better than store bought!
Alexandra
Hi Addie, thank you for your lovely comment on the Lemon Marmalade. I am so pleased that you enjoyed it. 🙂
Jane
I am about to cook lemons! No canning necessary?
Alexandra
Hi Jane,
I have never tried to process in a water bath, but if you follow our steps, including the sterilising of the jars, the marmalade will be shelf-stable for 12 months. (The marmalade is put into hot jars shortly after it has been boiled, so it doesn’t need to be boiled again.) This is the method that several generations of my family have used and it works well. 🙂
Enjoy your marmalade,
Kind regards, Alex
Jane
How do I get my lemon marmalade consistency of yellow applesauce to become golden and gelled?
Alexandra
Hello Jane,
I was wondering if you could you give me some more information on your marmalade, and if you have tried this recipe yet, or have just had experience with another recipe in the past? This recipe produces a soft set marmalade (see the video in the recipe card for how it should look).
The texture should not be like a puree like an apple sauce. I wonder if the peel was softened too far and has become mushy?
I also wondered about the ripeness of your lemons? The golden colour comes from perfectly ripe lemons, so a yellow colour might indicate that they were a little less ripe, or a different variety to ours.
Also, if the lemons were sliced by hand, or if you used a food processor to cut them – that could also alter the texture.
Please feel free to get back to me with any details, and I will try to provide more information.
Kind regards, Alex
Kayla
So delicious and easy!
Alexandra
Thanks, Kayla – so happy you like it!
Jane
So I have beautiful jars of marmalade on my counter. Praying they set. I doubled and tripled recipe and am afraid I may have cooked too long. They started to smell a bit burnt so I took off heat just under 220°F. I also tossed some of the syrup as I like more lemon pieces in my jars. If they don’t set, I really don’t want to dump out and cook more and re-do jars. I was thinking of canning to cook longer, but you mentioned the pectin may be gone anyway from a too long boil. I will pray they set in next few days!
Alexandra
Hello Jane, if you cooked the marmalade to just under 220F it should set. But if it hasn’t set after 48 hours, you could bring it to the boil again, add the juice of one lemon to increase the pectin and bring it to 220F. It is a soft set, not solid like some commercial varieties. I hope this helps. 🙂
Jeannie
My first time making marmalade and it was a success. I am very pleased with the result!
Alexandra
So happy to hear this, Jeannie – thanks so much for taking the time to let me know! Kind regards, Alex
Janelle
Would an enabled cast iron Dutch oven work for this?
Alexandra
Hi Janelle, enamel casting is fine to use, but my only concern would be the size of the pot. You’ll want one that is large and has high sides, otherwise, the marmalade could boil over. Thanks! Alex
Megan Ellam
Thanks for making it so simple Alex. I love your fuss-free recipes.
Alexandra
Thank you, Megan – that is such lovely feedback to hear 🙂
Andrea White
love how simple this recipe is! So so good!
Alexandra
Hi Andrea, I am so pleased that you enjoy the Lemon Marmalade, thank you for letting me know. 🙂
Leslie
Can one make this marmalade with Eureka lemons? Your recipe doesn’t specify. I do not have any Meyer lemons right now.
Alexandra
Hi Leslie,
Eureka lemons are ideal to use.
Gloria R.
Hi, I just finished making your recipe of lemon marmalade. Should the middle lid have any give to them or the pop that a canning bath would do?
Alexandra
Hello Gloria, if your marmalade is still hot, it may not have sealed yet. When you add your hot marmalade to the hot jar and immediately put the lid on, they will seal. There is usually an audible “pop” as they seal. I hope this helps. Best wishes, Alex 🙂