Lemon jam, also known as marmalade, combines sweetness, subtle acidity and an intense fruity taste, with a smooth, creamy texture that melts in your mouth and you’ll love it. The fresh, lively aroma of lemon will instantly transport you to the Mediterranean sun.
Whether you spread it on crepes, add it to yogurt, or enjoy it by the spoonful, this lemon jam is a true delight that will tantalize your taste buds with every bite.
Homemade lemon jam
Table of Contents
Easy homemade lemon jam
As you know, I love homemade food and making homemade jam is my annual ritual with many fruits.
Making your own jam has many important advantages. Jam is cheaper, you can make it all year round and add rosemary, vanilla, etc. to suit your taste. depending on the fruit.
You can also adjust the sugar content according to the desired shelf life. If you want a jar or 2 that you’ll eat within 15 days, a low-sugar jam is perfect.
How can I make a bitter-free lemon jam?
Forget the bitter taste you find in commercial citrus jams. For superb results, precook the lemons the day before, changing their water twice, then leaving them in fresh water overnight.
As the bitter taste comes from the peel and the white membrane inside the lemon, your choice of lemons is very important. Choose thin-skinned lemons, which contain more pulp and juice. We want to use more lemon pulp and less lemon peel.
The texture of the jam will also depend on the quantity of lemon peel used. You can use more or less.
If you don’t like chunks in your jam, you can make it with whole lemons, finely chopped and blended at the end of cooking.
I’ve already shared with you a comprehensive article on everything you need to know to make to make a successful homemade jam, which I invite you to read if you feel like it. Nevertheless, I’m going to cover the essentials in this article.
If this is your first time making jam, don’t worry, this lemon jam recipe is very easy and doesn’t take long.
Sterilizing jars
To guarantee safe, optimal jam storage for several months, it is very important to sterilize the jars. This will save you the unpleasant surprise of opening the jar and discovering mold. Start sterilizing shortly before cooking the jam, so that the jars remain hot.
If they have cooled, heat them in the microwave or in an oven preheated to 150°C.
Wash jars and lids with hot water and washing-up liquid and rinse well.
Place them with the lids on in a large pot filled with cold water. The water should cover the jars so that they are completely submerged.
Bring the water to the boil and boil for at least 15 minutes.
Remove the jars with tongs and turn them out onto a clean cloth to drain.
How do you make lemon jam?
NB: You can print out the recipe card with details of the ingredients below.
The day before, start by scrubbing the lemons and placing them in the pot. Cover with water and bring to the boil.
Cook for 15 minutes, then drain in a colander.
Refresh under running water and return to the pot. Cover with water, bring back to the boil and cook for 15 min after boiling.
Please note:
Cooking time will depend on the thickness of the lemon skin. Stop cooking as soon as the skin begins to split, as in the last image in the photo montage below.
Drain, refresh under running water and return to the pot. Cover with cold water and leave overnight.
The next day, drain the lemons and cut them in half to remove the pulp. Place the pulp in a sieve to retain the seeds. No need to save the seeds to put them in cheesecloth and cook them in the jam.
If you didn’t know, the seeds are a concentrate of pectin, and it’s pectin that helps make jam jellify. Lemon pulp and peel are rich in pectin, so there’s no need to keep the seeds.
Weigh the pulp and add the necessary amount of diced lemon peel to reach a total weight of total weight of 800 g.
Pour into a pot, add sugar and water and mix well.
For this jam I use a ratio of 1kg net fruit / 700g sugar. Use the table of 3 to find out how much sugar you’ll need for the amount of net fruit used.
Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook for 15 minutes.
| To prevent scum from forming on the surface while your jams are cooking, add 2 knobs of butter. |
Crush during cooking with a puree crusher, to refine the texture of the jam if you don’t like lumps in it.
Cooking lemon jam
Remove from heat and immediately fill jars almost to the brim. Replace the lids and screw on tightly.
Turn the jars upside down on a towel and leave to cool.
| By filling the jars almost to the brim with hot jam and turning them upside down, the heat will sterilize the remaining empty space. |
Once cooled, return the jars to their original positions.
Store jars in a dry, dark place for up to 1 year.
You can tell if the jam has been stored correctly by opening the jar. You’ll have a hard time unscrewing the lid. I heat it slightly over the fire, swirling it around. When you unscrew the lid, you’ll hear a “poc” sound.
After opening, store in the refrigerator.
Other jam recipes
Easy lemon jam
INGREDIENTS
- 1.2 kg (42 oz) lemons only 28 oz will be kept after the first cooking)
- 560 g granulated sugar (19.75 oz)
- 300 ml water (10 fl oz)
PREPARATION
- The day before, start by scrubbing the lemons and placing them in the pot. Cover with water and bring to the boil.
- Cook for 15 minutes, then drain in a colander.
- Refresh under running water and return to the pot. Cover with water, bring back to the boil and cook for 15 min after boiling.
- Please note:Cooking time will depend on the thickness of the lemon skin. Stop cooking as soon as the skin begins to split, as in the last image in the photo montage below.
- Drain, refresh under running water and return to the pot. Cover with cold water and leave overnight.
- The next day, drain the lemons and cut them in half to remove the pulp. Place the pulp in a sieve to retain the seeds. No need to save the seeds to put them in cheesecloth and cook them in the jam.
- If you didn't know, the seeds are a concentrate of pectin, and it's pectin that helps make jam jellify. Lemon pulp and peel are rich in pectin, so there's no need to keep the seeds.
- Weigh the pulp and add the necessary amount of diced lemon peel to reach a total weight of 800 g.
- Pour into a pot, add sugar and water and mix well.
- For this jam I use a ratio of 1kg net fruit / 700g sugar. Use the table of 3 to find out how much sugar you'll need for the amount of net fruit used.
- Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook for 15 minutes.
- To prevent scum from forming on the surface while your jams are cooking, add 2 knobs of butter.
- Crush during cooking with a puree crusher, to refine the texture of the jam if you don't like lumps in it.
- Remove from heat and immediately fill jars almost to the brim. Replace the lids and screw on tightly.
- Turn the jars upside down on a towel and leave to cool.
- By filling the jars almost to the brim with hot jam and turning them upside down, the heat will sterilize the remaining empty space.
- Once cooled, return the jars to their original positions.
- Store jars in a dry, dark place for up to 1 year.
Notes
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