My last batch of marmalade was a study of the pure taste of Meyer lemons. This fruit is such an enticing mix of sweet and tart that it is an excellent partner as much as a starring ingredient. I was intrigued by Rufus & Clementine’s CherryMeyerGingerLade mixing together Meyer lemons, dried cherries, and fresh ginger. In fact, I was already chopping a handful of dried cherries when I had a moment of inspiration. Back in summer, I squirreled away basket after basket of sour cherries in the freezer, all meticulously pitted by hand to keep them as intact as possible. I had visions of cherry pies in winter when the days are short, a special treat that guarantees to put a huge smile on B’s face. Well, winter is half over (yes!!) and I have yet to deplete my sour cherries supply. Just why exactly would I use dried cherries in a marmalade when I have perfectly juicy ones in the freezer? That’s how my Sour Cherries Meyer Lemon Marmalade came about.
This hybrid of jam and marmalade is eye catching with its ruby hue and studded with whole cherries and fine cuts of lemon. It is the same wobbly soft set as the Meyer Lemon Marmalade. At first taste, you’re hit with the fruitiness of sour cherries enhanced with kirsch. But then, the fragrant lemon peel makes its presence known and you realize its marmalade true character. I adore this complexity….like a girly girl in appearance but with the heart of a tomboy once you get to know her. This marmalade is a great match for buttery bread such as croissant, challah, or brioche. If only I have some of that ricotta bread!
A friend tipped me to an upcoming marmalade competition, 4th Annual Mad for Marmalade, Crazy for Citrus, hosted by the Culinary Historians of Canada. It looks like such an incredibly fun workshop with plenty of interesting topics. Scheduling conflict will prevent me from attending but they do welcome early submissions to the competition. I would love to give it a try! For this reason, I’ll reveal the recipe for Sour Cherries Meyer Lemon Marmalade after February 19.
Sour Cherry Meyer Lemon Marmalade
yields 46 fluid oz (5 8oz jars plus 1 6oz jar)
Ingredients
- 1lb Meyer lemons
- 2 1/2 cup water
- 4 cup sour cherries, fresh or frozen, pitted
- 4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp kirsch
Method
- Thoroughly wash the lemons and cut off the pointy ends. Reserve in a small bowl for making pectin bag. Cut each lemon into 8 wedges and trim away the core. Put cores in pectin bowl as well.
- Slice lemon wedges into triangles of about 2mm thick. Remove seeds as necessary and reserve the seeds in your pectin bowl too. Put the fruit into a measuring cup. One pound of lemon ought to yield about 2 1/2 cups of prepared fruit.
- Make a pectin bag by putting the content of your pectin bowl into a jelly bag or disposable tea bag. Close with a length of kitchen twine that you can tie the other end to the handle of a medium size pot. Empty lemon and 2 1/2 cup water into the pot and bring to boil. Turn the heat down and simmer for 20-30 minutes until peels are completely softened. At this point, you can chill the cooked lemon overnight to extract as much pectin as possible.
- Please a small white plate into the freezer. Sterilize the jars.
- Chop a third of the cherries into quarters, a third into halves, and leave a third whole. Add the cherries into the pot with the lemons and cook at medium high heat until cherries softened.
- Add sugar to the pot and stir until sugar dissolves. Cook at medium high heat and stir occasionally. When the temperature reaches 217F, start testing the set by using the wrinkle test. Mine was done at 218.5F for a wobbly set that I prefer. Stir in kirsch.
- Fill jars with marmalade and process according to proper canning directions. Alternatively, you can cool the marmalade until room temperature and store in the fridge for up to 6 months.
