Meyer Lemon Marmalade

This is out of season, but Robin asked for it. Meyer lemons are special: they have a more floral scent than regular lemons. I suppose you could use other types of lemons, but I recommend organic if you can because you're eating the whole fruit.

This recipe is adapted from one found in The Gourmet Cookbook. This takes two days: on the first day you prepare the lemons; on the second day you cook and jar the marmalade.

1.5 pounds Meyer lemons
3 cups water
2 cups honey (preferably a mildly flavored honey: your basic clover is fine)

Cut the lemons in half and remove (and save!) the seeds. Tie the seeds in cheesecloth---the seeds will provide the pectin which will make your marmalade gel. Cut the lemon halves into quarters and slice each quarter into thin slices. Combine the lemon slices, the bag of seeds, and the water in a covered pot. Let the pot stand at room temperature for 24 hours.

Chill 2 small plates for testing the marmalade. Bring the lemons to a boil over moderate heat. Simmer, uncovered, until reduced to about 3 cups (about 45 minutes). (Now is the time to sterilize the jars: see below.)

Add the honey and boil over moderate heat, stirring occasionally and skimming off any foam. The marmalade is done when a spoonful placed on a cold plate remains in a mound after a minute in the refrigerator rather than running. Test for doneness after about 15 minutes. It may take up to 30 minutes. The marmalade will set further in the jars, so don't worry if it's kind of runny.

Drain your sterilized jars on a clean kitchen towel for a minute, then turn right-side up. Ladle the hot marmalade into the jars, leaving 1/4 inch space at the top. Run a knife around the inside of the jars to eliminate air bubbles. Discard the cheesecloth bag of seeds. If you have a partial jar, don't try to can it---just use that one first.

Use a 10-minute water bath to seal the jars (see below).

Canning supplies: You'll need 6 pint jars, new lids, and the bands that screw on to hold the lids in place, and a canner or heavy pot (with a lid) that is large enough to hold the jars in a single layer with 2 inches of water over the jars and room for the water to boil.

Sterilizing the jars: First, wash the jars, lids, and bands in hot soapy water, then rinse well. Put the empty jars in the canner, fill with water so there is 2 inches of water above the jars. Bring the water to a boil and boil for 10 minutes. Then turn of the heat, but leave the lid on to keep the jars as hot as possible. Separately, heat the lids in water until a thermometer registers 180 degrees: don't boil the lids or they won't seal properly.

Water bath: Wipe the rims of the filled jars. Put a lid on and use a band to screw it in place. Put the sealed jars on a rack in the canner (if you don't have a rack, you can place a folded kitchen towel on the bottom of the pot in the water---this helps to keep the jars from banging against each other when the water boils). Add enough water to cover the jars by 2 inches. Bring the covered pot to a boil and boil for 10 minutes. Transfer the jars to a towel-lined surface to cool. (Use tongs!. Use a dry towel if you have to handle the jars!) As the jars cool, you will hear the lids ping. After the jars have cooled, check whether the lids have sealed: they should be concave and they shouldn't pop if you press the lid. If a jar doesn't seal, put that one in the refrigerator to use first. The others can go in your pantry with or without the screw bands.