Lemon lime marmalade is fabulous but it’s difficult to find in stores. Â And when you do it’s generally a little pricey. Â So why not make your own? Â It’s not only cheaper, it’s tastes a lot better too!
The question on your lips may be, “And why would I even want to make lemon lime marmalade?” Â Well, if you’re a citrus nut like me, this is right up your alley. Â It’s like citrus on steroids. Â And because there are so many great ways to use it beyond merely spreading it on toast (which is good, of course, but requires no imagination).
Use it as/to:
- A filling for cake or cupcakes
- A glaze for cookies
- Bake into scones
- Swirl some into yogurt
- A crepe filling
- Serve with cheese on a platter with crostini or crackers
- Stir into cream cheese frosting
- As an alternative filling for cinnamon rolls
- A marinade for meat, poultry or fish
- Added to your sweet and sour meatballs
- Add to vinaigrettes for spinach or arugula
- A glaze for carrots
Few things rival the wonderful flavor of lemon and lime and those are just a few ways you can put this fabulous Homemade Lemon Lime Marmalade to use.
A note about the rinds. Â You can use the lime rind whole but the white pith of the lemon is very bitter. Â You can use it as well, but just a heads up. Â If you prefer it less bitter, remove the white pith of the lemon and only use the outer yellow part. Â For the demo pictures below I have left the white pith intact.
Also, citrus is sprayed and waxed and since we’re using the rinds I recommend using organic lemons and limes.
Cut off the very ends of the lemons and limes. Â Very thinly slice the lemons and limes. Â The easiest way to do this – and to do it quickly – is to use a mandoline slicer. Â Remove any seeds.
Quarter the slices.
Add the citrus to a medium-sized pot with the water and bring to a boil. Â Reduce the heat to a steady simmer and simmer for one our until the citrus is very soft. Â Give it an occasional stir.
Add the sugar and return to a full boil. Â Reduce to a steady simmer and simmer for another 20-30 minutes or until a candy thermometer reaches 220-225 degrees F. Â Using a candy thermometer will ensure proper results and makes the job easier, plus they’re relatively inexpensive. Â I highly recommend buying a candy thermometer.
If you’d rather not get a candy thermometer you can use the “plate test.”  Simply place a plate in the freezer for a few minutes and then place a dab of marmalade on the cold plate.  Tilt the plate to see if the marmalade is set.  If it’s too runny, it’s not ready – continue simmering.  If it congeals into a soft gel and only moves just a little, it’s ready.
Let the marmalade sit for 2-3 minutes, then skim the foam off the top of the marmalade and discard. Â Letting it sit will evenly distribute the citrus pieces so they don’t float to the top when you place the mixture in your jars.
Pour the marmalade into hot, sterilized jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace from the top. Â To be extra safe, process the jars in a boiling water bath for 5 minutes. Â Keep the marmalade stored in a cool, dark place. Â It will keep for at least one year.
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- 1 pound lemons, thoroughly washed
- 1 pound limes, thoroughly washed
- 6 cups water
- 7 cups white granulated sugar
- Cut off the very ends of the lemons and limes. Very thinly slice the lemons and limes. The easiest way to do this - and to do it quickly - is to use a mandoline slicer. Quarter the slices. Remove any seeds.
- Add the citrus to a medium-sized pot with the water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a steady simmer and simmer for one our until the citrus is very soft. Give it an occasional stir.
- Add the sugar and return to a full boil. Reduce to a steady simmer and simmer for another 20-30 minutes or until a candy thermometer reaches 220-225 degrees F. (Using a candy thermometer will ensure proper results and makes the job easier, plus they're relatively inexpensive. I highly recommend buying a candy thermometer.)
- If you'd rather not get a candy thermometer you can use the "plate test." Simply place a plate in the freezer for a few minutes and then place a dab of marmalade on the cold plate. Tilt the plate to see if the marmalade is set. If it's too runny, it's not ready - continue simmering. If it congeals into a soft gel and only moves just a little, it's ready.
- Let the marmalade sit for 2-3 minutes, then skim the foam off the top of the marmalade and discard. Letting it sit will evenly distribute the citrus pieces so they don't float to the top when you place the mixture in your jars.
- Pour the marmalade into hot, sterilized jars leaving ¼ inch headspace from the top. To be extra safe, process the jars in a boiling water bath for 5 minutes. Keep the marmalade stored in a cool, dark place. It will keep for at least one year.
*Also, citrus is sprayed and waxed and since we're using the rinds I recommend using organic lemons and limes.
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Anonymous says
Hi, can you tell me approximately how many limes or how many cups of fruit this is equal to? I don’t have a scale. Thanks
Kimberly Killebrew says
It of course depends on the size of the particular limes, but generally speaking there are approximately 5 limes to a pound (and 4 lemons to a pound).
Thelma Simpson says
You can use Stevia to make marmalade if you also use Jamsetta, I also use the sugar that is made for jam, both available at Coles Supermarkets in Australia.
Julie Pickett says
My sister referred to this as “the best marmalade EVER!” 🙂
Kimberly Killebrew says
Wonderful, Julie, thank you so much for the feedback!
Leah says
One note for you: to can safely, you have to process your jars for at least 10 minutes in a boiling water — adding extra minutes if you live at higher altitudes above sea level. You might want to adjust that part of the recipe recommendations.
Polly Polson, New Zealand. says
Our lemon and lime trees are producing lots of fruit. Very happy to have a recipe easy to follow and jam that sets all by itself! It was well worth the wait! The taste is fantastic. And so say my friends!
Thanks so much!!
Kimberly Killebrew says
Fantastic, Polly, I’m so glad it’s been a hit, thank you!
PJ says
I’m an idiot! I put the sugar in at the start! Have I spoiled it?
Catherine Bennett says
Thanks for the recipe whichbi’m very keen to try. If I don’t want to retain the bitter pith, should I peel the rind first, slice off the path, slice and quarter the fruit as per your instructions, and then finely slice the peeled rind? Thanks in advance
Kimberly Killebrew says
Hi Catherine, yes just peel off all the rind and remove/discard most of the pith, then proceed with finely slicing. Happy cooking!
Tim Howsley says
Can anyone tell me what the sugar weight is in grams? Am in uk where we use grams
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Tim, I just googled “7 cups sugar in grams” and it’s 1400 grams.
Elisabeth Crabtree says
Tim: Note that US granulated sugar really varies, and can be much closer to British caster sugar, so the weight conversion may not be completely accurate, but probably close enough. I wish US recipes specified weight, not cups.
Janice Lee says
I use a very old recipe for marmalade which turns out quite dark and delicious but takes a while to make. Your recipe for lemon and lime is so relatively quick and also delicious. This is the Ecco day year of making it. Think I might try an orange marmalade using the same technique!
Thank you!
ailsa hughes says
Being diabetic but loving marmalade Ia was disppointed to see that stevia would not replace sugar. What would you suggest as an alternative. I keep away from chemical additives. Thank you.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Alisa, no alternative sweetener will firm up/congeal like regular sugar does. Short of using cornstarch to thicken the sugar-free mixture (which I’m not recommending), I’m not sure what else would work.
Vicky Crowther says
I’m diabetic so I’m going to use erythritol I’m going to see how it sets and add Gelatine if necessary
Eric Weber says
Hi there. I search a number of grocery outlets and finally found a bottle of lime marmalade. I was shocked at the price but bought one anyway as a stocking stuffer. When I got home I searched YouTube and and saw your recipe. I am eager to try it. I read a few of the responses and all were positive for taste, ease of making and inexpensive. What size canning jars would you suggest? Would mason jars be ideal?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Eric, for marmalade I usually use half pint jars but you can use pints as well. I use either Ball or Kerr mason jars with canning lids. You don’t have to use “canning” jars and lids though if you plan on storing the marmalade in your fridge and using it up within a few months.
Andrew Hageman says
Organic fruit is so costly, maybe recommend this tip for your home chefs. Bathe the citrus fruit in not quite hot water with white vinegar. If you want to, you can always rinse and dry the fruit before zesting (Lemons) The water/vinegar combo will remove any wax that might taint the flavor
Anna Savvides says
Can I substitute stevia instead of sugar
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Anna, it’s the cane sugar (brought to the correct temp) that enables the marmalade to thicken and congeal so unfortunately stevia will not work as a substitute.
Larry Ness says
Made this marmalade with only limes as it is my wife’s favourite. I quartered them length wise and then hand sliced worked well. I also reduced the sugar by one cup, we like it tart. Followed the directions in the recipe and it set beautifully. At our altitude of 3300 feet, boiled to 215F. Actual times in the recipe are fairly close.
My wife said this is much better than the expensive English commercial variety. I got nearly 8 half pints for the cost less than one store bought jar.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
That’s wonderful, Larry, thank you so much for the feedback!
Tang says
Thank you for your suggestion on cutting&slicing the lime. It’s really easy for a newbie like me.
Sunny says
Newbie here too… if I use only limes..can I use bottled lemon juice for the water..or half of the water?? Thank you.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Sunny, yes you can substitute lemon juice for the water if you prefer.
Carolyn M Osborne says
I’d ordered some Scottish lemon/lime marmalade recently and loved it, so when I saw your recipe my ears perked up, as it were. I made this recipe the other day and it worked out nicely. To conserve (my) energy, I used two electric appliances-a food processor and an instant pot.-and a candy thermometer, which made the whole process very easy. I quartered the washed fruit lengthwise before slicing and from each wedge, I cut off that little strip of the white center core. Then I could use the back of my knife to wiggle out the seeds. I found all but two seeds – not bad! I set up my slicing blade on the food processor and packed the quarters on end into the top loader. It took no time at all to get a good load of thinly sliced fruit, with all the juice retained. I’d looked up how to make marmalade in an instant pot and used those directions (basically, pressure cook the fruit, juice, and water, let decompress, then add the sugar, set for “saute” and cook the marmalade). It canned easily in 1-cup jars with a hot water bath, and now I have eight little jars of citrus loveliness that taste wonderful, with that great range of sweet/tart/bitter I love in good marmalade. It’s clear and has a pretty honey amber color. I’ll definitely do this again. Thanks for an excellent recipe!