Lemon Marmalade

Ingredients

• 4
  
  pounds lemons
  
• 8 1/2
  
  cups sugar
  
• 1/4
  
  cup fresh lemon juice
  

Directions

1. Day 1: Thoroughly wash the lemons and slice them into 8 wedges each, being sure to remove any seeds. Store half the lemon wedges in an airtight container and place in the refrigerator until Day 2. In a large, nonreactive saucepan, cover the other half of the lemon wedges with 8 cups of water; let stand at room temperature overnight.

2. Day 2: Bring the lemon wedges to a boil. Simmer them over medium heat, stirring every 30 minutes, until the liquid is reduced by half, about 2 and 1/2 hours. Pour the lemon wedges into a fine mesh sieve set over a large heatproof bowl. Let cool completely. Wrap both the sieve and the bowl in plastic wrap and let drain overnight at room temperature. Also on day 2, slice the remaining half of lemon wedges very thin crosswise. In a large nonreactive saucepan, cover the lemon slices with about 8 cups of water and bring to a boil. Simmer over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain the lemon slices in a fine strainer; discard the cooking liquid. Return the lemon slices to the saucepan and cover with 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil and simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is slightly reduced and the lemon slices are tender, about 45 minutes. Let stand at room temperature overnight.

3. Day 3: Add the strained lemon-wedge liquid to the slices in the saucepan. Stir in the sugar and the fresh lemon juice and bring to a boil. Simmer over moderate heat until the marmalade darkens (do not stir), about 30 minutes. Skim off any foam as needed. Spoon 1 tablespoon of the marmalade onto a chilled plate and refrigerate until room temperature, about 3 minutes. The marmalade is ready when it thickens like jelly and a spoon leaves a trail when dragged through it. If the marmalade is not yet complete, continue simmering and testing every 10 minutes until it passes the test. Spoon the marmalade into sterilized canning jars, leaving about 1/4 inch of space at the top of each jar. Tightly screw on the lids. Using canning tongs, lower the jars into a large pot of boiling water and boil for 15 minutes. Remove the jars using the tongs and let stand until the lids seal. Store the jars in a cool, dark place for up to 6 months.