Meyer lemons and other citrus in the snow, or Food Wanderings: jelly, jam, confit, pickle, preserve or marmalade?!





Right at this moment I have an abundance of citrus in the fridge. Clementines, grapefruits, Pomelo, limes, lemons and Meyer lemons. Jonathan and Sagie in Phoenix until Tuesday night, there is no one around to cook for. It's snowing outside (December 5, 09), for the first time this Winter, not many friends will be venturing off in the snow to come and taste my cooking, so I have decided on a very befitting, Winter weekend citrus preserving, one person extravaganza. Sweet jams and Moroccan preserved (pickled) lemons, with a touch of bay leaves and peppercorns. I find the flavor of regular Moroccan preserved lemons to be sharp when adding to Moroccan dishes. I can already tell when slicing Meyer lemons and tasting them that they will give the preserved lemons a more delicate sophisticated flavor. Skipping on paprika, but adding couple of bay leaves and few peppercorns, keeping end result as pure as possible.

Clementine jam:
Ingredients:
2 lbs Clementines (can substitute clementines with oranges, grapefruit, lemons, any citrus, always use with peel as it extracts pectin for gelling).
Juice of one lemon
2 lbs sugar
Directions: Wash Clementines, half and squeeze juice into a glass dish and keep in the fridge, discard the seeds. Boil clementine peels in boiling water for 20-30 minute and scoop to cold water bath. Keep for two hours to overnight to get rid of bitter taste, can replace cold water 2-3 times. Take pulp out of the peels and sliver peel to thin strips. In a pan add slivered peel, sugar, tangerine juice and half the lemon juice. Cook for 1/2 -3/4 hours while mixing occasionally, add remainder of lemon juice, mix and turn of heat. Let cool slightly and pour into canning jars and top when cool. Seal jars according to directions of canning jars for storage outside or keep in refrigerator.
Can use Clementine jam/marmalade for desserts, as a breakfast or brunch jam or holiday gifts (mine fit into five 8oz jars).
On a side note: got many compliments on the clementine marmalade, it's absolutely DELISH but the Meyer lemon one I made is my absolute favorite! Just to die for!! They are now officially entered and have a place of honor on my FOOD for ROYALTY list, among Pomegranates and figs and now....Meyer lemons

Meyer lemon preserves:
Ingredients:
2 lbs Meyer lemons
3-4 extra Meyer lemons, juice only
4-6 tablespoons salt
1/4 cup canola or olive oil to seal top
2 bay leaves
Few peppercorns
Directions: Wash jar in dishwasher or bath of boiling water. Wash lemons, take tips off and slice into 1/4 inch slices. Salt lightly and layer in a jar, squeeze 3-4 lemons until juice covers slices. Add bay leaves and peppercorns and pour oil on top to seal. Keep in a shaded cold corner in the kitchen. Preserves will be ready in a month. Once opening jar keep it in the fridge, pickles will last for a year. I went easy on the salt since I want to use the lemons for cooking Moroccan dishes, but feel free to use more salt and keep jar in a cool place outside or use salt as directed in recipe and keep it in the fridge. You can also use pickled lemons as a layer in sandwiches, appetizers. Also can use in 8oz jars as holiday gifts!!

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