Meyer lemons are abundant year-round on my trees in Sausalito.  I try not to waste a single lemon.  I give a lot of them away as gifts to friends and neighbors, and I look for new ways in which to preserve these treasures.

I started making Meyer lemon marmalade several years back, and it has now become very popular with my friends.  In order to keep the rinds from becoming too chewy, it is important to add an equal amount of water to the mix.  In fact, I use a 1:1:1 ratio – chopped Meyer lemons:water:sugar.

This marmalade is especially good with freshly-made scones.

It also goes well with goat cheese.  I simply spread some crusty bread with fresh goat cheese and then spread Meyer lemon marmalade over the top.  It is always a hit!

Ingredients
8 cups Meyer lemons, thinly chopped (approx. 16 lemons)
8 cups water
8 cups sugar

You will also need:
Chef’s knife
Large pot, such as a Dutch oven
Large spoon
Skimmer
Candy thermometer
Large open pan for sterilizing jars
6-7clean jars with new lids and rings
Canner
Jar tongs
Kitchen towel
Canning funnel, clean and sterilized
Paper towels
Regular tongs

Instructions

Place the chopped Meyer lemons, water and sugar into a large pot.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  Reduce the heat and cook at a medium boil, stirring frequently to keep from sticking.  Skim any foam from the top. Continue to cook until the marmalade reaches 220^oF or until thickened.

Meanwhile, put about an inch of water in the bottom of a large open pan.  Add the clean jars, open top down.  Bring to a slow simmer and let the jars cook for at least 10 minutes.  Keep hot.

Put enough water into the canner to completely cover your jars by about an inch.  Put it on a back burner and bring to a boil.

When the marmalade is ready, remove a jar from the hot skillet using the jar tongs and place the jar upright onto a kitchen towel.  Place a funnel into the jar.  Ladle the hot marmalade into the jar until it is almost full.  Leave about ¼” of space at the top.  Wipe the rim of the jar with a paper towel (a damp paper towel works best).

Drop one of the lids into the skillet with the hot jars and leave it there for about 30 seconds.

Remove the lid from the water with tongs and place it on top of the jar filled with marmalade.  Place a ring on the jar and tighten it.

Repeat until all of the marmalade has been ladled into the jars.  Gently place each jar into the canner (the water should be hot by now).

Cover the canner and bring the water to a boil.  Reduce the heat slightly and boil the jars for at least 5 minutes.  I typically do it for 7 minutes.

Turn off the heat underneath the canner.  Remove the jars from the water, dry them off and place them on the countertop to cool.  You should hear the lids pop within a few minutes.  If the jar is sealed, the lid dips slightly in the middle.  If the lid sticks up in the middle, then the jar has not sealed and the marmalade should be refrigerated and consumed within a week.

Be careful with the marmalade until it completely cools – don’t shake it around much.

Makes about 6 (8 oz.) jars of sunny marmalade.

Note: Several photos courtesy of McArdle Images.

A friend just delivered a surplus of figs – perfect for making fig chutney!  This chutney is a delicious compliment to slow-roasted pork and duck confit.  It really adds zip to hamburgers, as well.  I use Sherry vinegar in the recipe because I like the distinctive, nutty flavor it brings, but you can use your favorite red wine vinegar.   This chutney needs to cook for a couple of hours in order to maximize flavors and to reach a consistency that is not runny.  It will be worth the time involved.  You can either make a smaller batch, refrigerate it and eat it within a couple of weeks, or preserve this chutney in jars (in a water bath)  to keep on the shelf. 

Ingredients
5 cups red wine vinegar, such as Sherry vinegar
3 cups light brown sugar
1 large onion, chopped
2 Tablespoons fresh ginger, grated
Zest of 1 lemon
1 1/2 teaspoons yellow mustard seeds
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 stick cinnamon
2 teaspoons fine sea salt
3 lbs figs, cut into quarters

You will also need:
Large pot
Large spoon
Scale for weighing figs

If preserving in jars:
Large skillet for sterilizing empty jars
Water
8 oz. or smaller jars (your preference) with lids and rings
Tongs
Kitchen towel
Large canning pot for water bath

Instructions
Combine the vinegar, sugar, onion, ginger, zest, mustard seeds, cloves, allspice, cinnamon and salt in a large pot and bring to a boil. 

Reduce heat to medium and cook for about an hour until the mixture is reduced to about 1/3.  It should be starting to thicken. 

Add the sliced figs.  Turn the heat up to medium high and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to medium.

Cook for about an hour, stirring frequently, until thick like preserves.  The chutney should be a deep brown at this point. 

Remove the cinnamon stick and discard it.  The chutney is ready to serve. 

If you are preserving the chutney for later, then follow these directions for preparing and filling the jars and processing them in a water bath.

Prepare at least five 8oz. jars by first making sure they are very clean.  I like to take them directly from the hot dishwasher.  Place about 2 cups of water into a large saute pan and bring to a boil.  Place the jars, bottom side up, into the skillet. Reduce the heat and simmer with the jars in there for about 10 minutes.   Keep hot.

When the chutney has finished cooking, ladle it while still hot into the hot jars (careful – these jars are HOT), leaving only about 1/4″ of space at the top of the jar.  Wipe the rim of the jar with a damp paper towel.

Note that it is important to seal each jar before starting on the next one.  Before putting the lid onto each jar, drop the lid into the boiling water in the saute pan for 30 seconds.

Remove the lid from the water and place it on top of the hot jar with the chutney.  Put the ring on and twist tightly to seal.  Repeat with each jar until all of the chutney is in the jars.  If you have a little bit of chutney left over, then put it into a dish, cover it with plastic wrap and have it with your lunch the next day.

Meanwhile, prepare your water bath by heating enough water in the super large pot to cover your jars. Gently place the jars into the water.  Bring the water to a boil. Reduce the heat to a medium-low boil, and cook the jars of chutney for 7 minutes.

Remove the jars from the water, dry them off and store them on the countertop.  Check them a little later to make sure that the lids have sealed.  If so, store them in a cool, dry place.  If not, then put them into the refrigerator and use within two weeks.  You can also freeze them for later use.

Blackberries are in season now and are available locally in our Northern California farmers markets. Making jam is a great way to preserve blackberries so that you can enjoy them all year long.   I don’t use pectin in my jam so I can really cut down on the amount of sugar needed.  I simply use a 3:1 ratio of fruit to natural raw sugar.  (Pectin is extremely tart and you need about a 1:1 or even 1:2 ratio of fruit to sugar when using it!)

Ingredients
9 cups very ripe blackberries
3 cups natural, raw sugar (white sugar can be substituted, if desired)

You will also need:
Large pot
Large spoon
Skimmer
Large saute pan
Six very clean 8 oz. jars with new, clean lids and rings
Super large canning pot
Jar tongs
Kitchen towel
Damp paper towel

Instructions
Place the blackberries and sugar in a large Dutch-oven-sized pot.

Stir to combine.

Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  Reduce the heat to medium and let cook, stirring occasionally and skimming as needed, for about an hour or until the juices are reduced and the mixture has thickened.   You can test this by taking some out of the pot and letting it cool.

Meanwhile, prepare your jars.  Make sure they are very clean.  I like to take them directly from the hot dishwasher.  Place about 2 cups of water into a large saute pan and bring to a boil.  Place the jars, bottom side up, into the skillet. Reduce the heat and simmer with the jars in there for about 10 minutes.   Keep hot.

When the  jam has finished cooking, ladle it while still hot into the hot jars (careful – these jars are HOT), leaving only about 1/4″ of space at the top of the jar.  Wipe the rim of the jar with a damp paper towel.

Note that it is important to seal each jar before starting on the next one.  Before putting the lid onto each jar, drop the lid into the boiling water in the saute pan for 30 seconds.

Remove the lid from the water and place it on top of the hot jar with the jam.  Put the ring on and twist tightly to seal.  Repeat with each jar until all of the jam is in the jars.  If you have a little bit of jam left over, then put it into a dish, cover it with plastic wrap and have it for breakfast the next morning.

Meanwhile, prepare your water bath by heating enough water in the super large pot to cover your jars.  (Don’t put the jars in yet.)  Bring the water to a boil. Carefully drop the sealed jars into the boiling water, reduce the heat to a medium-low boil, and cook the jars of jam for 10 minutes.  Turn off the heat and leave the jars in the water to cool for half an hour.

Remove the jars from the water, dry them off and store them on the countertop.  Check them a little later to make sure that the lids have sealed.  If so, store them in a cool, dry place.  If not, then put them into the refrigerator and use within two weeks.  You can also freeze them for later use.

Yield:  approx. six 8-oz. jars.

Note: These breakfast preserves are best when made with fruit that has gotten a little too ripe to eat plain. It is a great use for that fruit you were just about to throw out.  Serve it with multi-grain toast or with a French baguette.

Ingredients
1 cup ripe fruit
1/3 cup brown sugar

You will also need:
Paring knife
Small pot
Large spoon

Instructions
Peel the fruit (or if using berries, take off the stems) and chop into ¼” pieces. Put into a small pot and add the brown sugar. Bring to a boil over high heat and then reduce the heat to medium. Continue to cook uncovered for about 15 minutes until thickened.