Spiced Lemon-Pear Marmalade

Submitted by Patty Mae

"This marmalade is delicious with cream cheese on crackers or a toasted bagel. It also makes a nice accompaniment to chicken or pork. NOTE: Chunk cinnamon is available from Penzey's Spices (www.penzeys.com) or you can substitute 1 4-inch stick of cinnamon, broken into small pieces."

 

• Ready In: 2hrs 15mins
• Ingredients: 10
• Yields: 7-8 half-pint jars

ingredients

• 8 large firm pears, peeled, cored, and grated (about 2 quarts grated)
• 3 medium thin-skinned lemons
• 1 piece ginger, 4 x 1 inch, peeled and diced
• 1⁄2 cup water
• 1 tablespoon chunk cinnamon
• 6 whole allspice
• 3 cardamom pods
• 1 teaspoon whole cloves
• 8 whole black peppercorns
• 5 cups sugar

directions

1. Place spices in a tea ball or tie up in a cheesecloth bag.
2. Process ginger and water in blender until pureed. Strain well through a fine sieve, pressing down to get as much liquid as possible. Discard the ginger and reserve the liquid.
3. Take two of the lemons and quarter lengthwise. Slice the white pith off the core of each piece and remove the seeds. Slice each piece crosswise as thinly as possible, preferably with a mandoline.
4. Grate the zest from the remaining lemon and squeeze the juice from it.
5. Place all ingredients in a large non-reactive pan and bring up to a boil.
6. Reduce heat and simmer until lemon peel is translucent, about 1 hour.
7. Remove spice bag and discard spices.
8. Pack marmalade into hot sterilized jelly jars.