Lemon Jam Recipe

The lemon trees are laden with fruit here at the moment. This was the perfect recipe to preserve the windfalls and continue the never ending battle with the lemons!

Its uses just 2 ingredients and is relatively easy to make. I really like the sharpness of this recipe as the jam lends itself to both sweet and savoury dishes. Having said that i'm enjoying it on toast with plenty of olive oil.

Recipe:

1.5kg lemons

1.5kg granulated sugar

Method:

1. Wash and drain the lemons well. Peel the lemons using a peeler being sure to take as little pith as possible. 
2. Top and tale the lemon and with a sharp knife cut the pith away without taking any flesh. Discard the pith or i like to dry it out and use it as firelighters.
3. Weigh the flesh and the pith and then place it in a blender and blitz until smooth. Pour it into a  large heavy based pan along with the same weight in granulated sugar.
4. Place over a high heat and bring the mixture up to the boil. Turn down to a medium heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until the jam starts to thicken and deepen in colour. make sure you stir frequently to prevent it catching on the bottom of the pan.
5. Pour a spoon of the jam onto a saucer and place in the fridge to cool. Run your finger through the jam. It should form a skin wrinkle up as you push it. If it's still runny then keep cooking the jam and testing it on the saucer until you achieve the right set. You can also use a sugar thermometer and bring the jam to a steady 105°C. 
   
6. Once you have achieved the correct setting point or temperature then pour the hot jam straight into sterilised jam jars and seal tightly. Allow to cool in the jar before storing at room temperature for upto 1 year. Once the jam is open then keep it in the refrigerator for upto 3 months or so.