Sub for Meyer lemons

19 years ago

I'm going to make this lemon vanilla bean marmelade recipe that I got from here. It calls for Meyer lemons which I have never seen in any of the groceries where I shop. Could I just sub regular lemons?

Recipe

Citrus and Vanilla Bean Marmalade

- 3 to 4 Meyer lemon rinds*

- Flesh from 2 oranges*

* OR 1 1/4 pounds whole Meyer lemons

- 5 cups water

- 1 box fruit pectin

- 4 1/2 cups sugar

- 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise

- 6 to 8 one-cup canning jars with lids and bands

Bring boiling-water canner, half full with water, to simmer. Wash jars and screw bands in hot soapy water; rinse with warm water. Pour boiling water over flat lids in saucepan off the heat. Let stand in hot water until ready to use. Drain jars well before filling.

In a food processor, grind lemon rinds as fine as possible. If using whole lemons,

work on a large plate to catch juice and cut lemons in half lengthwise, then very thinly crosswise. Discard seeds.

To soften fruit: In a large non-reactive pot (such as stainless steal), add lemon rind and orange flesh and 5 cups water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer 10 minutes, adding a little water if necessary to keep from scorching.

Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean. In food processor or small grinder, grind empty vanilla pod and add to pot as well.

Add pectin and bring to full rolling boil, stirring constantly on high heat. Add sugar. Return to full rolling boil and boil exactly 1 min., stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim off any foam with metal spoon.

Immediately ladel into prepared jars, filling to within 1/8 inch of tops. Wipe jar rims and threads. Cover with two-piece lids. Screw bands tightly. Place jars on elevated rack in canner. Lower rack into canner. (Water must cover jars by 1 to 2 inches. Add boiling water, if necessary.) Cover; bring water to gentle boil. Process 5 min. Remove jars and place upright on a towel to cool completely. After jars cool, check seals by pressing middles of lids with finger. (If lids spring back, lids are not sealed and you'll need to keep them in the fridge).

Let rest in a cook dark place for two weeks before enjoying.

Posted by Darla M. Wiese

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Comments (4)

CA Kate z9
19 years ago
I'd use regular lemon peels with the orange pulp. I grow Meyer Lemons and the taste is a soft Lemon flavor.... with orange overtones when really ripe.
karen_b
19 years ago
Thanks for posting the recipe. I have three lemons off of the meyer lemon tree that was my fathers, it is only the second time I've had lemons from it in the past 15+ years. I hope the three lemons will be enough.
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readinglady
19 years ago
I've seen two recommendations for substitutions. One is to use half lemons and half tangerines as a subsitute for the Meyers.

Depending on how pronounced you want the lemon component to be, you could go as high as 3/4 lemons and 1/4 tangerines.

If you use regular lemon peel, the finished result will be considerably more tart and more bitter. The reason your recipe calls for grinding the peel is that Meyer lemons are very thin-skinned with minimal bitter pith. I'm not sure the orange would be enough to compensate for that bitter note.

On the other hand, if you used 100% lemons and sliced them rather than grinding, that might turn out quite well. You have a lot of sugar and also the vanilla bean adds another sweet note. It may be the recipe could use a bit more of an acidic burst.

I don't know if this helps or not. Your recipe goes two different directions, one oranges and ground lemon, one purely sliced Meyer, and that sets up lots of options when you throw regular lemons into the equation. However, if you're willing to stretch the boundaries, it's very possible you'll come up with something even BETTER than the original.

As an added note, I personally would put the ground bean in a spice bag and pull it out at the end. I'm not sure I'd want those dark flecks floating in a light preserve. But that's just my take on it.

I hope this helps. If you have more questions, ask away.

P.S. Have you considered a lemon marmalade sans pectin? Lemons are high-acid and high-pectin on their own.

Carol
morz8 - Washington Coast
19 years ago
Your recipe sounds wonderful; I may have to try that myself:)

I can only get Meyers here occasionally and can't count on them being available when I shop. I'd use regular lemons and not worry about the slightly milder Meyers, but I LOVE lemon...lemon chicken, lemon in salad dressing, lemon desserts - the more the better