Meyer Lemon Marmalade

1 1/2 lbs Meyer Lemons (about 6 lemons) 
4 cups water

4 cups sugar

Halve the lemons and juice them, reserving the peel and scraping out the white pith inside. Slice up some of the peels very thinly and cut into 2 inch strips.  How much you slice up depends on how thick and lemony you want your marmalade to be.   

Place the juice, water, and peels in a large non reactive (not aluminum) pot and bring to a boil.  Simmer on medium high until it has reduced to 5 cups. This takes 20-30 minutes. 

Add the sugar, stir and bring it back to a boil. Place a small plate in the freezer. Cook on medium high heat for about 10 minutes until it has reached the gelling point. This is going to be between 200 and 220 degrees depending on how thick you want your marmalade to be.   Test it on the frozen plate. Place a spoonful of marmalade on the cold plate then place in the freezer. When it's cold, if you run your finger through it and it stays in place, it's done. If it's still liquid and runny, cook it for 5 minutes longer, then test again.

This recipe only works for Meyer lemons due to their sweetness and thin skins, don't replace regular lemons in this recipe, better to find a recipe made for regular lemons. This will keep many months in the refrigerator.  To keep longer, preserve it by ladling into hot jars, and process using the hot water method used for high acid foods for 10 minutes.  Or you may freeze it.  Makes about 4 -half pint jars