Lemon Jam
Adapted from a recipe by chef Jan Oravec at Ahgora
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour
Makes 3x400g/14oz jars of jam
-
1.2kgs/2.6lbs lemons
-
650g/1.4lbs raw sugar
-
1 cup/250ml lemon juice
-
1/2 cup/125g/4flozs water
-
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (optional)
Step 1 - First peel the zest from the lemon trying to get as little of the white pith as possible. Process in a food processor until fine or set Thermomix on speed #8 10 seconds.
Step 2 - Cut the white pith from around the lemon and discard the pith. Cut the lemon in half and squeeze out the juice with your hands and remove the seeds. You don't have to squeeze all the lemon juice out, just a couple of tight squeezes will do. It's important that you remove all of the seeds. Place the flesh in a food processor until blended or set Thermomix on speed #8 10 seconds.
Step 3 - Weigh the flesh and zest in a medium sized saucepan and add roughly the equal amount of sugar. My zest was 100g/3.5ozs and the flesh was 460g/1lb so I added 650g/1.4lbs of sugar. Jam usually works on a 1:1 ratio of sugar to fruit but lemons are more sour than other fruit but I tasted it adding it gradually and found a nice balance using 650g of sugar but do it to your taste as long as there's a 1:1 ratio of sugar to ensure preserving levels. Add lemon juice and water and simmer on low heat stirring occasionally for 1 hour. You won't really have to attend to it until the last 20 or so minutes. It will turn into a dark golden colour.