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Lemon Jelly
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Lemon Jelly

Lemon jelly delivers pure, bright citrus flavor in a smooth, spreadable form. The peel infuses the juice with aromatic oils during cooking, then everything is strained out for a perfectly clear jelly that captures the essence of fresh lemons.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Canning Time10 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Jelly
Cuisine: American
Keyword: citrus canning recipe, Citrus Jelly, Lemon Jelly
Servings: 48 servings (about 3 half pint jars with pectin)

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs lemons
  • 1½ cups water
  • 3 Tbsp Powdered Pectin Any brand, full sugar pectin, half a 1.75 ounce box (normally 6tbsp per box)
  • 2 cups sugar Adjust to your juice yield, 1:1 ratio

Instructions

  • Scrub lemons thoroughly, rinse well, and pat dry. Using a vegetable peeler, carefully strip the yellow rind from the lemons, avoiding the bitter white pith, to measure about 1 cup of peel strips.
  • Cut a 1/4-inch slice from each end of the peeled lemons. Stand each lemon flat-end down and remove the remaining white pith in strips, cutting from top to bottom following the curve of the fruit.
  • Coarsely chop the peeled lemons, reserving all juice, to measure about 2 to 2 1/2 cups total.
  • Combine lemon peel strips, chopped lemon with juice, and water in a 4-quart stainless steel or enameled pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.
  • Line a large wire-mesh strainer with 3 layers of dampened cheesecloth and place over a large bowl. Pour the lemon mixture into the strainer and let drain for at least 3 hours or overnight. You should get about 2 cups of juice. Measure, and adjust your sugar accordingly. You should add 1 cup sugar to every one cup of strained juice. Discard solids.
  • Combine lemon juice and pectin in a 4-quart pot. Bring to a full rolling boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Add sugar (1:1 ratio to measured juice), stirring to dissolve. Return to a full rolling boil and boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and skim foam if necessary.
  • Ladle hot jelly into prepared jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Wipe rims, center lids on jars, and apply bands to fingertip tight.
  • Process half pints or quarter pints in a boiling water bath canner for 10 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Turn off heat and let jars stand in canner for 5 minutes before removing.

Notes

This is a small batch recipe yielding about 3 half pints or 6 quarter pints with pectin. To double the batch for 5 to 6 half pints, use: 4 lbs lemons, 3 cups water, 6 Tbsp pectin (a full box), and 8 cups sugar.
A pound of lemons is about 4 medium/large.

Without Pectin

Lemons are naturally high in pectin. Experienced jelly makers can skip the added pectin: after adding sugar, boil hard for 8 to 10 minutes until the mixture reaches 220°F or passes the sheeting test. The set will be slightly softer but still excellent.
Without pectin, this recipe yields a more intense jelly with a slightly lower yield of 2 half pints.

Simple Switch: Lime Jelly

Follow the recipe exactly using lime juice and lime rind instead of lemon.

Altitude Adjustments

  • 0 to 6,000 feet: 10 minutes
  • Above 6,000 feet: 15 minutes

Nutrition

Serving: 1Tbsp | Calories: 41kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 0.2g | Fat: 0.1g | Saturated Fat: 0.01g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.02g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.002g | Sodium: 3mg | Potassium: 26mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 4IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 5mg | Iron: 0.1mg