Lemon Jam Recipe (2 Ingredients only!)

4.41 from 30 votes

Lemon Jam Recipe (2 Ingredients only!)

This delicious and chunky Lemon Jam is made using whole thick-skinned lemons. A pantry staple that can be used on almost any sweet creation you can think of!

Prep Time1 30

Cook Time1

Course: Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine: Greek

Keyword: jam, lemon

Servings: 500 gram jars

Calories: 1611kcal

Ingredients

8-10 large thick-skinned lemons ( "Citrons", "Lemonade", or "Femminello")
sugar
canning jars like these
cheesecloth

Instructions

Sterilize the canning jars. Wash them well with soap and water. Without letting them dry, place them on a pan that you have covered with a clean tea towel. Then place the pan in a preheated 160°C /320°F oven for 15 minutes.
Heat a large cooking pot with water over high heat.
Cut the bottoms of the lemons. And cut the lemons in half.
Squeeze all the lemons. Add the fresh lemon juice to a bottle and keep it in the fridge. Save all the pulp and seeds from the squeezed lemons tied inside a small cheesecloth.
Once the water in the pot starts to boil, dip in the squeezed lemons. Cook for 10 minutes and then transfer them into a very large bowl or pot filled with cold water.
Repeat this process two more times. At this point, you may proceed to the next step and start making the jam, if you want it to be strong-flavored. Otherwise, let the lemons soak in plenty of cold water for about 14-18 hours. Changing the water they soak in at least 3 times. You may taste some of the skin to see if it is to your liking. If you want a real light lemon flavor. Keep changing the water a few times more.
Transfer the lemons to a strainer. Let the lemons stand for 10 minutes. Then weigh them using a digital food scale and write down that number. Set the lemons aside.
Weigh the squeezed lemon juice you've been saving in the fridge. Add as much water as needed so it will weigh the same as the lemons. (weight of Lemon juice + water = weight of lemon skins). 1:1 ratio.
Now weigh the sugar. It should be equal to the amount of the lemon juice + water + the lemon skins. So for example, if your lemon skins weigh 1 kg and the lemon juice and water weigh 1 kg then you need 2 kg of sugar.
Take the squeezed lemon cups and with a spoon scrape any remaining pulp from the inside. Place it in a large mixing bowl. Then cut the cups in half. Then cut each half into thin slices depending on how chunky you want your jam to be cut into smaller or bigger slices. Place in the bowl as well.
Place the lemon juice and water along with the sugar inside a large pot. Add the cheesecloth inside as well. Ideally use a tall one or a stockpot, because jam tends to get foamy and rise a lot on the surface. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 2 minutes until most of the sugar dissolves.
Add the sliced lemons and cook until the jam sets. Stirring every now and then. Takes about 25 minutes. You will see the surface starting to look glazy. To check if the jam is thick enough, place a little plate in your freezer for 5 minutes. Then take a spoonful of the jam with a teaspoon and add it to the plate. As the jam cools on the cold plate you can see how thick it is.
So once the jam is set, remove the pot from heat and set it aside. Let it stand for a few minutes until you see the lemons going under the surface of the jam. This will help to distribute the jam equally into the jars, ensuring there is an equal quantity of lemons and "liquid" on each.

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