Meyer Lemon and Vanilla Bean Marmalade

Summer is long gone, but I happened to have a beautiful bounty of meyer lemons remaining in my fridge thanks to my Debbie Meyer (no pun intended) produce bags. If you are not aware of Debbie Meyer “green bags” you have to try them; you can hold produce a lot longer without losing your produce to spoiling. If you are a produce slacker like me- they are invaluable. You can find the bags at Bed Bath and Beyond stores. I have been able to hold my lemons for several weeks now. My friend Jill was gracious to give me the last offering of lemons from her Mother’s tree. Thank you Jill!

Meyer Lemon & Vanilla Bean Marmalade

recipe: Bon Appetit

yield: ~ 4  1/2 Cups

1  1/4 lbs. meyer lemons (about 5 lemons)

5 Cups water

5  1/2-6 Cups sugar

1 vanilla bean (or 1 Tbsp. vanilla bean paste)

optional: additional vanilla beans for jars

pinch of salt

Working on large plate to catch juice, cut lemons in half  lengthwise, remove the pithy white membrane, then cut half moon slices very thinly crosswise. Discard seeds. Pack enough lemons and  any juice to measure 2 1/2 cups. Transfer to large nonreactive pot. Add 5 cups  water; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium; simmer 10 minutes. Remove from  heat; let stand uncovered overnight.

Measure lemon mixture  (there should be about 5 1/2 cups). Return to same pot. Add equal amount of  sugar (about 5 1/2 cups). Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean. Add pinch  of salt. Bring to boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Attach clip-on candy  thermometer. Maintaining active boil and adjusting heat to prevent boiling over,  cook until temperature reaches 226°F, stirring occasionally, about 30-40 minutes.  Cool to room temperature. Transfer to jars. Place a half of vanilla bean in each jar. Cover and chill. (Can be made 2  weeks ahead. Keep refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before serving.)