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This Raspberry Meyer Lemon Marmalade tastes like a delicious explosion of sunshine and takes less than 45 minutes to make!
The skies are gray here in western North Carolina today and there's a cold, gusty wind swaying the barren trees covering the mountainsides. It's the time of year here when vistas are visible in 360-degree panoramas, unshielded by the vibrant foliage of other seasons. There's a unique, simple beauty, but it can seem stark and monochrome-ish at times. So for me, it's the perfect time to stir up a bit of my own cheery sunshine by making a batch of this delicious (and easy) Raspberry Meyer Lemon Marmalade.
What are Meyer lemons?
Meyer lemons are a cross between lemon (or citron) and mandarin oranges and are native to China. They have the same shape as regular lemons, but their skin is smoother, thinner and has more shine. Because of the thinner skins, Meyer lemons are more perishable than regular lemons. Their color is also a little different too, being more gold in hue than the classic lemon yellow.
Meyer lemons are a sweet lemon variety and can actually be enjoyed on their own in contrast to the sour lemon flavor that most of us are used to. Meyer lemons and regular lemons can be used pretty much interchangeably in desserts, but in most savory dishes, the sourness of a classic lemon is more desirable.
It used to be difficult to find Meyer lemons but they've become more and more popular (and available) over the past 5-10 years. Most larger grocery stores carry Meyer lemons and I've seen them this year at Walmart, Trader Joe's and Aldi.
In contrast to regular lemons that are available all year long, the Meyer lemon season is much shorter, generally December through May. So it's time to enjoy them right now. But you can also preserve the wonderful flavor of Meyer lemons by making a batch this Raspberry Meyer Lemon Marmalade!
45-minute sunshine
I call this Raspberry Meyer Lemon Marmalade my "45-minute sunshine" because that's how long it will take to stir up a batch of this delicious, cheerful condiment. The best part? It tastes like "a delicious explosion of sunshine" when it hits your mouth!
How does it work? First of all, gather together your supplies. You'll need 4-5 Meyer lemons, 2 navel oranges, sugar, a packet of powdered pectin (I use SureJell) and some clean jars with tight-fitting lids. You can find powdered pectin at most larger grocery stores, usually in the same area as canning jars and food storage supplies.
It also helps to have a small zester, like the one pictured below. These are wonderful for use in zesting citrus fruit as they make it easy to remove just the colored part of the peel and not the white part (the pith) underneath. The colored part of citrus peels is delicious and full of flavor while the pith is bitter (and also unattractive). I love the fact that this zester removes the zest in small slivers rather than big chunks.
This type of zester can be purchased at kitchen stores or big box stores like Bed, Bath and Beyond and also online.
Once you've removed the zest from both the Meyer lemons and the navel oranges, it's time to cut up the fruit itself. Cut off any remaining peel with a sharp knife and dice the lemons and oranges into small pieces, discarding any seeds and white membrane, as you go.
Combine the zest, fruit and sugar in a large pot and bring this mixture to a boil. It will just need one minute of boiling to dissolve the sugar and then it's time to add the pectin. In a small pot combine ¾ cup water and the powdered pectin and also bring this to a boil. Again, boil for a full minute then remove from heat and add this to the citrus mixture. Stir, stir, stir for 3 minutes and all that's left is to pour your beautiful liquid sunshine into the waiting jars.
Because citrus fruit has lots of its own natural pectin, you see the marmalade starting to thicken as you're transferring it to the jars. As the jam cools and spends a little stint on the counter, you'll notice it will thicken to a nice jammy consistency.
That's it, except for standing back and admiring your handiwork. I love seeing the beautiful-hued jars all lined up on my counter and you will too! Allow the marmalade to sit at room temperature for 20-24 hours, then refrigerate (or freeze for longer storage).
Ways to use this Raspberry Meyer Lemon Marmalade
- Delicious on toast, English muffins, biscuits, dinner rolls and scones. We love it on slices of this Ridiculously Easy Brioche Bread toasted and buttered!
- It makes a wonderful, very gourmet peanut butter and jelly.
- Serve it on a cheese and cracker tray for a splash of sunshine.
- Spoon it over warmed Brie with some crusty bread or some of these Copycat Raincoast Crackers on the side.
- Spoon it over Greek yogurt and serve with homemade granola.
- Spoon in over ice cream and serve with shortbread cookies.
- Use it as a filling for layer cakes
- Use it as a glaze for salmon, chicken, pork...
- Combine a couple of spoonfuls of marmalade and a splash of both rice vinegar and soy sauce and use it as a dipping sauce for eggrolls, chicken tenders, Chinese dumplings, etc.
Dress it up a bit!
I make lots of jams, jellies and marmalades. Sometimes it's hard to determine what kind it is when I go into the freezer to pull out a jar. I've learned to add a little label to each jar that's either glued to the lid or one that slips under the band of the jar lid. These labels are also really nice when you want to give a jar as a gift. If you make this jam and would like a printable PDF for the labels, feel free to leave a comment below. I'll send you both sizes.
Café Tips for making this Raspberry Meyer Lemon Marmalade
- Measure carefully. Jam and jelly making is an exact science and altering the measurement can cause problems with the setting, making the consistency too thin or too thick.
- I love these pretty Italian jelly jars. They come in two sizes, 5-ounce and 8½-ounce. They would make a lovely gift!
- If you want to make this Raspberry Meyer Lemon Marmalade and you don't have the small zester mentioned above, you can also use a vegetable peeler to shave off the colored part of the peel of both the lemons and oranges. Then use a sharp knife to cut the pieces of zest into small slivers.
- This is a refrigerator or freezer jam. It's not shelf-stable as you do not use a hot water bath when canning it. It will keep well in the refrigerator for several weeks or in the freezer for 3-5 months. If you give this as a gift, tell the recipient to store it in the refrigerator or freezer.
- Navel oranges don't have any seeds, but Meyer lemons do. After removing the peel, I find the easiest way to cut up the fruit is like this: cut the fruit in half from top to bottom, then remove the inner white core with a v-shaped cut. Most of the seeds will come with it or will be exposed so they're easy to remove. Then I cut each half in half again (lengthwise) and slide my knife along the peel to remove the fruit.
- You might be wondering why there's a little pat of butter added to the jam before it boils. It helps diminish the foam that can form on the top, but doesn't affect the jam in any other way.
If you enjoyed this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review! It’s so helpful to other readers to hear other’s results and ideas for variations.
- 1 cup whole raspberries
- 4 medium Meyer lemons 5 if they're small
- 2 medium navel oranges
- 4 ¼ cups sugar
- 1 teaspoon butter
- ¾ cup water
- 1.75- ounce box powdered fruit pectin I use SURE-JELL
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Wash glass jars and lids with hot water or run through the dishwasher. Dry thoroughly. (You'll end up with about 5 cups of marmalade, so the number of jars you'll need will depend on what size they are.)
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Place the raspberries in a medium-size bowl and crush them with the back of a spoon or a potato masher.
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Remove colored zest (just the colored part, not the white pith) from the lemons and oranges, using a small zester (see note in post above).Transfer the zest to the bowl with the raspberries.
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Cut the remaining peel off of the lemons and oranges and coarsely chop the fruit into small pieces, discarding any seeds and the white core and reserving any juice. Transfer the fruit and juice to the bowl with the raspberries and zest. Stir to combine.
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Transfer exactly 2 cups of the fruit mixture to a large pot. If you don’t have quite enough, add a bit of water or orange juice to make exactly 2 cups. If you have extra, discard (or use for something else) any remaining fruit mixture.
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Add the sugar and butter to the pot and stir until well mixed. Turn the heat to medium-high and stir frequently until the mixture comes to a full rolling boil (a boil that you can’t stir down). Set a timer for 30 seconds and boil, stirring continuously. After 30 seconds, remove from heat.
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Add ¾ cup water to a small saucepan. Sprinkle in pectin and stir until dissolved. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil and boil for 1 minute, stirring continually. Add the hot pectin to the fruit mixture and stir for 3 minutes. (Don't cheat on the 3 minutes!)
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Transfer marmalade to prepared containers immediately and fill to within ½ inch of tops. Wipe off top edges of containers and immediately cover with lids. Let stand at room temperature for 20-24 hours to complete the setting.
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Store in refrigerator up to 3 weeks or freeze extra containers up to 1 year. Thaw in the refrigerator before using it.
See Café Tips above in post for further instructions and more detailed tips.
Makes about 5 cups of jam.
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Marty says
The gorgeous Meyer lemons at my local Aldi and last summer's harvest of raspberries taking up space in my freezers put this recipe at the top of my To Do list. I did make two variances from the easy recipe. Meyer lemons and my homegrown raspberries are a real treat here so the frugal me was a little irked by the directive to "discard or..." any fruit above the 2 cup mark. It was easy math to adjust the sugar and pectin amounts to correspond to 2 3/4 cups of fruit. As a veteran jam makerI know the possible perils of modifying and increasing recipes but this marmalade turned out just as it should have. I also subjected one jar to a 10 minute boiling water bath. There is no apparent diffence in the consistency or color as compared to the other jars. I will check that processed jar for color retention after weeks/months of shelf storage. My freezers, especially this time of year, offer no room for freezer jam storage. I produce 80-120 jars a year so shelf storage is my preferred method. Thank you for this deliciously bright, sunny recipe.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much for such a great review, Marty! I know this will be helpful to other readers!
Karen Carlson says
This will be the first time I've tried to make jam and it looks amazing! It's so exciting that it is a freezer/fridge jam and doesn't seem as complicated as most recipes.
Can I substitute cooking/baking/stevia for the sugar? Will that affect the recipe's outcome?
I would like to receive the labels and will probably order the jars as well since they are so pretty.
Thanks
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Karen, this will be a great place to start making jam as it's a pretty straightforward recipe. I would not alter it though by using stevia. There is a no-sugar pectin you can purchase although I haven't tried it with this recipe and I'm sure the proportions would be different.
I will send you the labels now!
Karen says
Thanks for the labels. I gave this recipe a 5 star review!
Diane says
I will make this as soon as I can get out and purchase the Meyer lemons. Please do send me the pod file to make the labels. Thank you!
Chris Scheuer says
Sent! Hope you enjoy it!
Catherine Swanson says
Homemade jams and jellies are so good- Might try to cut down on the sugar a little bit-would appreciate the PDF labels. Have tried and enjoyed several of your other recipes. Thanks for sharing them
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much! Sending it now, Catherine!
BRENDA BALL says
I haven't made yet, but I will. I gave it 5 stars because I know it will be that. I'll use strawberries though because I already have a packet of them in the freezer for strawberry jam, and also because I hate the seeds in raspberries, tho I love the taste. I would love the pdf for the labels (I'll just change to strawberries, lol). I made your sweet cherry jam and strawberry freezer jam and loved them both. I'd always made water bath jams and I totally love the freezer jam much more. We're still talking (and eating) about your Crack Buttermilk cake which is soooo good. Thanks for the recipes.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Brenda! You're a great encourager! I'm sending you the labels now.
Jennifer @ Seasons and Suppers says
I spotted the first Meyer Lemons at the grocery store yesterday, so I'm good to go for a batch of this beautiful marmalade 🙂 The colour is fabulous and the flavour combination sounds delicious.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Jennifer! Those Meyer lemons definitely bring a bit of cheer at this time of year!
Nancy says
Being in South Florida I would love to make this marmalade for gifts. The labels would be very nice to have.
Follow your blog and have learned so much
Thanks
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Nancy, just sent you the labels!
Terry says
Looking forward to trying this recipe. I made and gifted your wonderful Clementine Pepper Jelly as Christmas gifts to friends and have made a number of great recipes from your site. Please forward label template for this recipe. Thanks
Chris Scheuer says
I'm so glad you enjoyed the other jams. Will send the labels now!
Diane Kindall says
Hi Chris, do you think I can put these through a water bath to can? I would love to have the pdf off the labels. Thanks?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Diane, I think this jam should be fine for a water bath. The color may not be quite as vibrant but it will still be pretty. The lemons and oranges give this jam a pretty low pH so it should be fine for canning. You want the pH to be below 4.6 for safe canning. With oranges having a pH 3-4 of and Meyer lemons 2.33 at the highest you shouldn't run into any problems.
Marcia E Griffo says
Christ, I'm trying to eat "added sugar" free and it's been wonderful but I would really LOVE to try this. What do you think of using Splenda or something similar to replace the sugar?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Marcia, I wouldn't try to adapt this recipe to a Splenda jam. I know there is a "No-sugar" SureJell however I'm not sure what the fruit proportions should be for this recipe using that, as I've never tried it.
Sylvia Hasbach says
Cheers Chris!
I would love to have the marmalade labels! I made your Balsamic Fig Jam (with labeled jars) and gave as Christmas gifts....boy did we spread the love!!
Thank you!!
Sylvia
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Sylvia, I'm so happy you enjoyed the Fig Jam! These labels should be in your inbox! Cheers to you!
Tricia B says
That color, and the flavor combination - what a fantastic recipe! I must give this a try. You really are the jam queen 😉
Chris Scheuer says
Thank you, Tricia! I do love to make jams and jellies!
Judy says
Hi Chris. Do you think I could use frozen raspberries and I don’t have a Meyer lemon tree. I just have a regular lemon tree. Do you think I could use those lemons? Thank you.
Chris Scheuer says
Yes, to both questions! Just measure the raspberries before you thaw them. Regular lemons will work also for this recipe. How nice to just go out and pick a lemon off the tree when you need one! That's so foreign to us here in NC!
Lynda says
Hi Chris,
Would love to have the labels for this yummy looking marmalade. I can’t wait to try it. I made and gifted your cranberry clementine conserves and fit jam for Christmas. They were such a hit! Thank you so much for sharing, and for all the helpful tips you always give!
Lynda
Chris Scheuer says
Thank you, Lynda! I will send you the labels now. I'm so happy you enjoyed the other jams 🙂
Nancy says
I have never made any of your recipes that did not get rave reviews. Since I would feel guilty taking the praise, I always pass on your site to others. I just wish I was as creative as you. I would love the labels for my next round of gifts for friends.
Chris Scheuer says
Aww, thanks so much, Nancy! I appreciate your kind words and referrals to the blog! Labels are on their way!
Linda P. says
Chris, may I pls. have the pdf for the labels of what looks like a delicious jam w/ other uses? Thank you.
Linda P.
Chris Scheuer says
Yes, of course, you can have the labels. Hope you enjoy the jam, Linda!
Joanne says
Once again I cannot resist another one of your jams. I never know what to do with Meyer Lemons so I am making this for sure and would love access to any labels.
P. S. I made a double batch of your balsamic fig jam for the holidays and gifted it all out except for one jar and everyone raved about me included!
Kathy says
This recipe looks and sounds delicious. I would really appreciate your printable labels as well.
Is it possible to use strawberries in place of raspberries?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Kathy, just sent you the labels.
I think strawberries would be delicious. I would probably halve them before measuring 1 cup then mash them after adding to the lemon mixture.
Jean schack says
we have a Meyer lemon tree and would love to try this! Thanks for the label.
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Jean, I'm super jealous that you have a Meyer lemon tree! Lucky you!
Just sent you the pdfs for the labels.
Dale says
Would love to make this for my family and give as gifts, along with your bread recipe! Thank you!
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Dale, this will make a great gift with a loaf of bread, yum!
Will send you the labels now.
Shannon M says
This looks fabulous and I am anxious to make it. Can you please send me the labels? Perfect labels for what looks to be a perfect marmalade
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much Shannon! Just sent you the labels!
Jean says
What a wonderful pot of sunshine for the new year. I have a Meyer lemon tree. I can't wait to try this recipe.
I would love to have the labels for gifts.
Thank you.
Chris Scheuer says
So awesome to have your own Meyer lemon tree! I paid $1 each at my local grocery store!
Sending you the labels now, Jean.
Pam payne says
Looking forward to trying this and what a nice housewarming gift it would make!
You are just as gifted with "words" as you are with recipes!........an "explosion of sunshine"...who wouldn't want to experience that!
Chris Scheuer says
Thank you, Pam! What a sweet, thoughtful comment!
This would make a lovely housewarming gift, great idea!
Just sent you the labels.
Evalyn says
This marmalade looks wonderful. I love the presentation it makes with the cute jars and labels too. Would you please send me the pdf for the labels? Thank you in advance! 🍋🍊
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Evalyn! Hope you enjoy it! Just sent the labels!
Kelly Allaire says
Hi Chris...I just love all of your recipes and have made many of them for family. Many are now in that "family requested" category ! I'm sure this one will be a winner! It is just what I need for the coming winter days in Buffalo, NY I would appreciate receiving the labels ...they are adorable! Thanks for all you share with us.
Chris Scheuer says
Thank you, Kelly! I love that Café recipes have become favorites!
Hope you enjoy the marmalade, just sent you the labels