295338 Sun Dec 14 14:59:15 -0800 2003 6 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 1622854 A thread on meyer lemons on the Pacific Northwest board inspired me to make a batch of marmalade out of organic meyer lemons. Having found organic tangerines, I would like to try putting up a batch of tangerine marmalade as well, but assume they would need less sugar than the meyer lemons. I tried a search for a tangerine marmalade recipe on Epicurious, but one of the reviews complained of the marmalade not setting up properly. Getting marmalade to gel is everything, so I don't want to risk wasting good fruit on a recipe that literally doesn't come together. Any marmalade recipes and advice are welcome, as are ideas about websites similar to this one but devoted to canning and preserves. Sun Dec 14 14:59:15 -0800 2003 0 Olympia Jane 1 1622869 I adore Meyer lemons. For the first time in my life I live in a house without a Meyer lemon bush. They have ripe fruit on them about 10 months of the year in my area (So. California). I've made Meyer lemon marmalade and it's great. Meyer lemons are truly wonderful. For those who've not had the pleasure, Meyers (now the Improved Meyer lemon, also available dwarfed which becomes a lovely bush up to 8 feet tall, that usually has blossoms, green fruit and ripe fruit all on it at the same time) are much sweeter that the typical Eureka lemons you get in the grocery store. They are believed to be a cross between the lemon and the mandarin orange. Sorry for the digressive paean to Meyer Lemons! My long-winded point is that the difference in sweetness between Meyer lemons and tangerines is not as great as you may think. And Meyers are not as acidic as Eurekas. I know people who eat Meyers out of hand, like you or I would eat an orange or a tangerine. Tangerines are my favorite fruit. Jane, the sugar in preserves is not just for sweetening but also thickens and "makes" the product. Therefore, your recipe for Meyer lemon marmalade will work fine for Tangerine marmalade. Yes, it will be a bit sweeter than the Meyer Lemon marmalade, but the proportion of sugar to fruit and peel is what will make it jell. I think you'll love it. Sun Dec 14 18:00:59 -0800 2003 1622854 0 Dorothy 2 1622946 As a digression, I'm one of those people who eats Meyer Lemons out of hand. Granted, I usually keep a small bowl of superfine (not confectioners) sugar nearby while I peel the sections, and have been known to dip the odd section in from time to time, but a good Meyer lemon is often un-acidic and sweet enough (not sweet per se, just not sour -- hard to explain unless you've eaten one) to eat on it's own. This is one of my favorite fruits -- and since my pregnancy has begun I've been craving citrus fruits off and on. Graprefruit, and even a none-too-sweet Valencia orange were too acidic and upset my now-delicate stomach. I'm not sure what the acid level is in Meyers, but in desperation one day I pulled one out of the fridge and started peeling it. To my surprise it didn't upset my stomach at all -- and my craving for citric acid or whatever it was was slaked by the time I'd finished the little beauty. Now I eat this fruit like this all the time. I used to buy Meyers by the half-dozen everytime I found good ones to make "lemonade" -- essetially filtered water with 1/4 part Meyer lemon juice, with a small amount of sugar added to taste -- and extremely light and refreshing "not sour but not really sweet either" drink that I really enjoy. Now I have to buy Meyers by the dozen in order to have enough left over to make my lemonade -- the rest I eat! I do have a Eureka lemon tree in my backyard that bears all year around. Alas, though, I live in foggy cool San Francisco (great weather for the Smiths, not so great weather for growing citrus) and those lemons never really get ripe -- even when they are bright yellow and fall off the tree! However, they yield tons of beautiful, delicious, completely chemical and wax-free zest for candying and for recipes, so I shouldn't complain. I'm wondering if any poor students who live in Berkeley would co-op their backyard Meyer tree to me -- I know they grow all around the East Bay in backyards, and the slightly warmer temps actually let the fruit ripen. Perhaps I'll put out a personal ad "Meyer Lemon tree wanted -- will pay cash for the crop!" My habit is getting out of hand. :) Mon Dec 15 12:51:38 -0800 2003 1622869 0 Mrs. Smith 3 1623014 I've never eaten the flesh, but I often eat the peel of Meyer lemons after I've juiced them. I always think I'm going to candy them, but I start nibbling, and the next thing I know there aren't enough to candy. Mon Dec 15 17:47:29 -0800 2003 1622946 0 Ruth Lafler 4 1623024 Instead of sugar, sprinkle the meyer's with a bit of salt and eat. Sounds strange, but man it's good. I grew up on it, eating a salty meyer brings back so many memories of childhood. For slightly more elaborate eating along the same lines, throw some meyer lemon segments, cucumber slices, salt, and chile powder in a bowl. Heaven. BTW, I've heard that eating raw lemon isn't good for the enamel on your teeth. But I've never had any problems with my teeth. :) -Nick Mon Dec 15 18:16:06 -0800 2003 1623014 0 nja 5 1623069 A friend sent me some Meyer lemons when I lived in Maine. Some were from her family's own tree in California, a few she picked up at the market. I made some wonderful lemon bars with most of them, but one had arrived a little bruised. So I ate it, peel and all. Delicious! Mon Dec 15 21:57:51 -0800 2003 1623024 0 Pat Hammond 2 1623065 Thanks for the tip, Dorothy. I will be cooking the marmalade from the meyer lemons tonight, and canning it, so I can start the tangerine marmalade tomorrow night. Do you have a favorite lemon marmalade recipe you would be willing to share? Mon Dec 15 21:45:16 -0800 2003 1622869 0 Olympia Jane