Technically not a jam, this Lemon Jelly Jam is sweet, though also tangy and yet so delicious. If you love citrus jams, then you will love this one!
Lemon Jelly Jam
This Lemon Jelly Jam Recipe only requires 3 ingredients and some time to create. It is a delicious jelly jam recipe, that is made with lemons, sugar and water. As it is not made with the fruit itself, just the just from the fruit, it is not really a jam, though we use it just like a smooth, no-lumps jam.
This is really a simple recipe that requires no pectin as lemons naturally contain it. It does need to sit over to soften the skins, so you will need some time over two days to make this recipe.
Making Lemon Jam
Preparing – Day 1
After gathering 5 large lemons, 6 cups of water and a couple of cups of sugar, you are ready to start.
Wash the lemons thoroughly and dry. Cut each lemon into 8 pieces. Cover with the water and boil until the water is reduced to about half the quantity.
Pour into a heat-proof bowl, cover with cling wrap.
Allow to stand overnight on the bench.
Day 2
In the morning strain through a sieve and measure the liquid. Throw away the lumps. Sterilise the jars and keep them warm.
Place the liquid into a saucepan with the sugar. Heat over medium heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil, stirring frequently so the mixture doesn’t burn or stick to the bottom of the pot. If you have any froth appear on the top of the mixture, scoop off with a spoon.
Getting Jam to Set
For jams to thicken and set, they need a substance known as pectin. Some fruits naturally contain more pectin than others. When making jams and jellies with low-pectin fruits, often lemon juice is added.
High-pectin Fruits
- Apples
- Blackcurrants
- Redcurrants
- Gooseberries
- Raspberries
- Plums
- Cranberries
- Oranges
- Lemons
- Apricots
Low-pectin fruits
- Blackberries
- Blueberries
- Strawberries
- Rhubarb
- Peaches
- Cherries
If you are using low-pectin fruits in your jam, you should also add some lemon juice or perhaps mix in some high-pectin fruit to help your jam to set. Alternatively, using jam sugar with low-pectin fruit works well.
To make jam, you need to soften the fruit first. We like our strawberry jam relatively smooth, so while softening the fruit, I used a masher to mash it to a smooth puree, though this is just our personal taste.
The mixture will then need to boil and thicken and you will need to stir it frequently so that it doesn’t burn or stick to the bottom of the pot. If you have a candy thermometer, it needs to read 105°C (220°F), though you will need to keep a close eye on the mixture when it starts getting around this temperature.
If you don’t have a thermometer, you can use the jam / cold plate test. Before starting your jam, simply place 3 or 4 small plates in the freezer. When you think the jam may be ready, place a small teaspoon amount of jam onto one of the cold plates from the freezer and let it sit for about 30 seconds. Then run your finger through the middle of the blob of jam. If the line starts to fill back over, it means the jam is too runny and is not ready yet, so keep cooking and repeat again in about five minutes. If the line remains, then the jam has reached setting point and is ready.
Why Didn’t my Jam Set?
There are many reasons as to why your jam didn’t set. It may have needed to be cooked longer or sometimes, the fruit you used didn’t have enough natural sugar and needed a little more pectin added.
If you followed these instructions and your jam didn’t set properly, place your jam in the fridge overnight. If it isn’t set in the morning, you could try re-cooking it a bit longer and may be adding a bit of pectin or some more sugar and lemon, though have a taste test you don’t want to add too much that it may affect the flavour.
Sterilisation
There are a few ways to sterilise your jars, this is the one I use.
Wash the jars and lids in hot, soapy water to make sure they are clean. Rinse the jars in hot water and place upside down on racks in an oven heated to 120˚C. You can line the racks with baking paper first if you want. Heat the jars for 20 minutes. Do not place cold jam into hot jars or they may crack and break.
More Lemon Recipes
- DIY Lemon Extract
- Orange and Lemon Marmalade
- Lemon Curd
- Lemon Coconut Slice
- Lemon Lime Cupcakes
- Lemon Cheesecake
- Lemon Cake
- Lemon Meringue Fudge
- Lemon Meringue Pie
- Lemon Marmalade
More Jam Recipes
- Strawberry Jam
- Rosella Jam
- Mulberry Jam
- Slowcooker Apple Butter
- Apple Scrap Jelly
- Blueberry Jam
- Passionfruit Curd
- Homemade Bread
- Mint Jelly
Lemon Jelly Jam
Ingredients
- 5 large lemons
- 6 cups water
- 1 cup sugar for each cup of juice
Instructions
- Wash the lemons thoroughly and dry.
- Cut each lemon into 8 pieces.
- Cover with the water and boil until the water is reduced to about half the quantity.
- Pour into a heat-proof bowl, cover with cling wrap.
- Allow to stand overnight on the bench.
- In the morning strain through a sieve and measure the liquid. Throw away the lumps.
- Sterilise the jars and keep them warm.
- Place the liquid into a saucepan with the sugar. Heat over medium heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved.
- Bring to the boil, stirring frequently so the mixture doesn't burn or stick to the bottom of the pot. If you have any froth appear on the top of the mixture, scoop off with a spoon.
- If you have a candy thermometer, it needs to read 105°C (220°F), though you will need to keep a close eye on the mixture when it starts getting around this temperature.
- If you don’t have a thermometer, you can use the jam / cold plate test. Before starting your jam, simply place 3 or 4 small plates in the freezer. When you think the jam may be ready, place a small teaspoon amount of jam onto one of the cold plates from the freezer and let it sit for about 30 seconds. Then run your finger through the middle of the blob of jam. If the line starts to fill back over, it means the jam is too runny and is not ready yet, so keep cooking and repeat again in about five minutes. If the line remains, then the jam has reached setting point and is ready.
- Fill your sterilised jars with the jam and seal them while they are still warm.
Pictures Counting Mats
Well I’m going to have to try this one – sounds deliciously simple! Thanks for sharing at The Homestead Blog Hop!
I made this lemon jelly and it’s delicious and so easy to make!
This turned out really well and the directions were easy to follow. Using the thermometer guide didn’t work because it didn’t reach that temp.(maybe a faulty gauge) but I had the dishes in the freezer as a back up which worked fine. Looking forward to the next cook up.