Recipe from June Taylor
Adapted by Amanda Hesser
- Total Time
- 2 hours, plus cooling time
- Rating
- 4(90)
- Notes
- Read community notes
This recipe came to The Times from June Taylor, the impresario of preserving whose jams and jellies, made in her workshop in Berkeley, Calif., are esoteric works of art. For this sweet-tart concoction, you’ll need a jelly bag, used to draw pectin from the fruit, which can be found online or at your local kitchen supply store (you can also make your own out of muslin.) The recipe is for marmalade devotees who want a surprise: you’ll cut the Meyer lemon into chunks, so when you eat the marmalade, you get a burst of lemon, a bit of culinary sunshine. —Amanda Hesser
Featured in: THE WAY WE EAT; Jelly's Last Jam
Learn: How to Make Jam
Learn: Basic Knife Skills
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Ingredients
Yield:Makes 6 8-ounce jars of marmalade
- 5pounds grapefruit, rinsed
- 5Meyer lemons or small regular lemons, rinsed
- ½cup lemon juice (from 2 to 3 additional lemons)
- 2½pounds sugar
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
871 calories; 1 gram fat; 0 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 0 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 226 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 218 grams sugars; 3 grams protein; 3 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
Step
1
Remove the grapefruit skin with a vegetable peeler. Cut the peel into ⅛-inch slivers; stop when you have ¾ cup. Discard the rest. Slice off the ends of the grapefruit and the remaining grapefruit peel and pith. Remove grapefruit segments, reserving membrane. Stop when you have 5 cups of segments.
Step
2
Cut the ends off the Meyer lemons, deep enough so you can see the flesh. Leaving the peel on, remove the segments of lemon and reserve the membrane. Cut the segments crosswise into ¼-inch pieces. Put membranes from the grapefruit and Meyer lemons in a jelly bag and tie closed.
Step
3
In a wide and deep pot, combine the grapefruit segments, grapefruit peel, lemon pieces and jelly bag. Add lemon juice and 2½ cups water. Simmer until the grapefruit peel is tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool.
Step
4
Preheat the oven to 225 degrees. Working over a bowl in your sink, squeeze the liquid from the jelly bag; keep squeezing and wringing it out until you extract ⅓ to ½ cup of pectin. Add pectin and sugar to the pot. Place over high heat and boil, stirring now and then, until marmalade is between 222 and 225 degrees and passes the plate test. (Spoon a little onto a plate and put in the fridge for 3 minutes. If it thickens like jam, it is done.)
Step
5
Meanwhile, put 6 sterilized 8-ounce canning jars and lids on a baking sheet and place in the oven. When jam is done, remove jars from the oven. Ladle jam into the jars, filling them as high as possible. Wipe the rims. Fasten the lid tightly. Let cool. If you don't get a vacuum seal, refrigerate the jam.
Ratings
4
out of 5
90
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Cooking Notes
Stella B
Your thermometer is calibrated in Celsius, the recipe is given in Fahrenheit.
ruby grapefruits and Meyers lemons
I was unclear if I should use the pith or not. I did not. I used only the membranes inside cheesecloth. I never was able to reach 222 degrees. The highest temp I got was 118. However, after almost an hour, the mixture was getting thick and starting to darken so I pulled it off the heat and put it in jars. Very tasty. But why did it not reach temp? I used a really high quality candy thermometer and checked it with my thermapen too. So I don't think it was a measurement error.
Margaux Laskey, Staff Editor
Old-fashioned tart, but I really do think either would make a delicious marmalade.
JD
Delicious tart & chunky marmalade. It took 4+ hours for two people. A ton of work and a big sticky mess. We used all 2 1/2 pounds of sugar, but I agree this recipe's directions are mediocre. To get 5 cups of grapefruit segments we used 11 pounds of sweet ruby red grapefruit, no direction on how tightly to pack the measuring cup. Could not get it above 215 degrees nor get it to plate test successfully. Ended up adding Agar Agar (since I didn't have pectin) to get it to gel finally.
Leslie
Excellent marmalade! Best of the five recipes I have tested, I am surprised that I use it without missing the orange flavor. This marmalade gives a bright flavor that is not too sweet, and that has a perfect texture.
Kevin
Are your temperatures Celsius or Farenheight? 118 Farenheight would not even be boiling. The temperatures in this recipe are in Farenheight.
Karen
Delicious! Used the gigantic “grapefruits” from the backyard. We think these are pomelo fruits, but not quite certain. I learned that my thermometer was good to 210. Jam test description was useful.Recipe took 2-3 pomelo fruits to get enough sections. Pomelos are sweeter, more gentle tasting than grapefruit. Next time, with the pomelo, I would keep all of the Meyer lemon, but cut the lemon sections in 1/16 - 1/8 width so that the lemon does not overpower the pomelo.
Carol
Thanks for this recipe - it is outstanding. I followed it exactly as written, and found it to be completely accurate - I used five large pink grapefruits, and the yield was as described. The marmalade is beautifully balanced - nicely sweet and tart - and a gorgeous deep golden color. I will definitely make it again.
Karen Gotwalt
Made for gifts, 12/2017. Doubled the recipe. Took ALL DAY. Made more than 12 8 oz jars- next time, sterilize 18 jars. Made it in the 8 quart pot- use the 10 qt pot next time, so it can cook at higher heat without cooking over. Took longer to reach 222 degrees than I would have thought.
JD
Delicious tart & chunky marmalade. It took 4+ hours for two people. A ton of work and a big sticky mess. We used all 2 1/2 pounds of sugar, but I agree this recipe's directions are mediocre. To get 5 cups of grapefruit segments we used 11 pounds of sweet ruby red grapefruit, no direction on how tightly to pack the measuring cup. Could not get it above 215 degrees nor get it to plate test successfully. Ended up adding Agar Agar (since I didn't have pectin) to get it to gel finally.
Karen Gotwalt
It did take a long time to get above 218- I think that it needs to cook down to get there.
Definitely 2.5 cups instead of pounds of sugar
Grateful thanks to Rena for pointing this out!
ruby grapefruits and Meyers lemons
I was unclear if I should use the pith or not. I did not. I used only the membranes inside cheesecloth. I never was able to reach 222 degrees. The highest temp I got was 118. However, after almost an hour, the mixture was getting thick and starting to darken so I pulled it off the heat and put it in jars. Very tasty. But why did it not reach temp? I used a really high quality candy thermometer and checked it with my thermapen too. So I don't think it was a measurement error.
Stella B
Your thermometer is calibrated in Celsius, the recipe is given in Fahrenheit.
Kevin
Are your temperatures Celsius or Farenheight? 118 Farenheight would not even be boiling. The temperatures in this recipe are in Farenheight.
Shirley
What kind of grapefruit was used - red or old fashioned tart white? We live in LA, and have a white grapefruit tree. My daughter has a Meyer lemon tree. I imagine the type of grapefruit would affect the outcome. I'm eager to try this, but would like my question clarified beforehand.
Thanks.
Margaux Laskey, Staff Editor
Old-fashioned tart, but I really do think either would make a delicious marmalade.
Leslie
Excellent marmalade! Best of the five recipes I have tested, I am surprised that I use it without missing the orange flavor. This marmalade gives a bright flavor that is not too sweet, and that has a perfect texture.
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