Make the best Lemon Jam at home with this super easy recipe. You need 3 simple ingredients only: lemons, water and sugar. No pectin here. Fill your crepes or top your cakes and tarts with it.
This jam has a zesty, refreshing and a little tangy flavor, so it’s good for warm spring days! You can either have it at breakfast, spread it on biscuits or use it as a topping on your cakes.
Don’t you think even the name of this recipe sounds so tempting? I know it’s not the jam season yet, we mostly make it at the end of Summer or in September here in Turkey. So why did I make this lemon jam last night? Why am I that crazy to make it at night? Did I tell you that I forget about time concept when it comes to cooking?
My parents sent us a big box of lemons from their garden a few months ago and we’ve finally come to the end of these lemons! It was really hard to accept this sad reality when I saw last night that we had about a kilo left!
These lemons are coming from Mersin, which is a city famous for its citrus fruit. The lemons from there have such a heavenly fragrance that when you cut them in halves, you feel like you’re in a citrus yard!
So making jam with those lemons was my solution to keep the flavor of those wonderful lemons longer in our kitchen. It was the first time I was making it, so I was a bit excited and curious about the result. Despite all my fears, it came out perfect! No recipe could go wrong with these incredibly fragrant lemons! So use the best lemons you can find to make this jam.
What Goes In Lemon Jam Recipe
We don't need many ingredients for this recipe. You can make it right now if you have lemons, water and sugar. Nothing else is needed. This is the basic version of making lemon jam. If you want to enrich the flavor, add different ingredients like nuts or ginger.
Lemons are used in three different forms in this jam:
- Lemon zest
- Chopped lemons
- Lemon juice
Lemon Marmalade or Jam?
Do you know the difference between marmalade and jam? To my childhood knowledge, they have two main differences. Marmalade is thicker than jam and looks more like fruit puree. This is how we know in Turkish cuisine. When I searched these terms on the Internet, I discovered a few more details.
For one thing, jams contain fruit pulp and are like a combination of smashed fruit and sugar.
Marmalades, on the other hand, are made with citrus fruit and contain the peel of the fruit.
So I think we can call this lemon marmalade too because it has lemon zest and chopped lemons with the skin on.
Making Lemon Jam
The recipe has a few straightforward steps. Please find the full instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
First, prepare the lemons. Dice one of the lemons. Grate the zest of the remaining three lemons. Then peel them completely and chop their flesh removing all membranes and seeds.
Second step is about removing the bitterness of lemon peel. Put the lemon zest and chopped lemons in a pot. Pour water over them and bring it to boil. Let it simmer for about 10 minutes. Strain the lemon zest and lemon pieces, put them back in the pot with clean water and repeat this step for the second time. Bring it to boil, simmer for 10 minutes and strain.
Third step is about making the jam. Put the cooked lemon pieces and zest in the pot along with the chopped lemon flesh, sugar and water. Bring it to boil over medium high heat and simmer for 45 minutes over medium low heat.
Add in the lemon juice and simmer for another 5 minutes. Let it cool in the pot and then keep it in a jar. You will see it is still runny when you remove it from heat. Don't worry! It will get the right consistency as it cools down.
I'm leaving the image in the original post which was published in 2013 when we don't have much experience about food photography.
More Jam Recipes without Pectin
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📖 Recipe
Homemade Lemon Jam
INGREDIENTS
- 4 large lemons (about 500 grams)
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 cups water
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
INSTRUCTIONS
Prepare the lemons:
- Cut 1 lemon into small cubes with the peel on. First, slice it into thin rounds, then into strips, and finally into small cubes. Place them in a small saucepan.
- Zest the yellow part of the remaining 3 lemons (avoid the bitter white pith). Add the zest to the same saucepan.
- Peel those 3 zested lemons completely. Chop the flesh of them removing all membranes and seeds. Set the chopped lemon flesh aside for now.
Remove the bitterness:
- Pour enough water into the saucepan to cover the lemon cubes and zest. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Drain using a fine strainer and discard the water. Return the lemon cubes and zest to the saucepan.
- Cover again with fresh water, bring to a boil, and simmer for another 10 minutes. Drain and discard the water. (This process removes the bitterness from the lemon peel.)
Make the jam:
- Put the lemon cubes and zest back to the saucepan.
- Add the reserved chopped lemon flesh to the saucepan. Pour in 2 cups of sugar and 2 cups of water. Stir well and bring to a boil.
- Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it thickens slightly. Skim off any foam that forms on top.
- Stir in the lemon juice and simmer for another 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let it cool. The jam will continue to thicken as it cools.
Store:
- Transfer to a clean jar and keep in the refrigerator for up to 2–3 months.
- For longer storage, pour the hot jam into a sterilized jar, seal tightly, and turn it upside down. Let it cool completely at room temperature, then store in a cool, dry place or in the fridge.
NOTES
- After receiving lots of helpful comments from you, we tested the recipe again and updated the measurements. The previous version used ¾ cup sugar and 2 cups water, which required a much longer cooking time to achieve the right consistency. With the current ratios, the jam sets more reliably and still keeps a bright lemony flavor.
- If you don’t like your jams too sweet, you can reduce the sugar to 1 and ½ cups instead of 2. Just keep in mind that you might need to simmer the jam a bit longer for it to thicken properly.
- These ingredients make a small batch, about 350 grams jam, so double or triple the ingredients if you want a larger amount.
NUTRITION
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Maria Angerami-Costanzo says
Very delicious lemon 🍋 jam.
Zerrin & Yusuf says
Thank you! Glad you liked it.
E says
Hello! I am making x3 amount of lemons. So all up i am using 12 lemons. What do i do with the 9 lemons when i do the zest of 3 lemons and chop up one?
Zerrin & Yusuf says
You can peel them completely and chop the pulp only, removing the membranes and seeds.
Pam says
Mine hasn’t thickened on cooling
What could I have done wrong, followed instructions carefully
Zerrin & Yusuf says
We are sorry to hear that. You can try adding more lemon juice, one or two tablespoons, simmering it longer. It will finally set when you let it cool and keep in the fridge.
Mugs says
Recipe photos are lovely....but the cooking time was way off. Like others I had to but it back on the stove the next morning and simmer for almost an hour before it gelled
Zerrin & Yusuf says
We’re sorry to hear that the jam didn’t set properly at first. Not sure what might have gone wrong, as lemon juice and peel are natural sources of pectin, and the jam usually thickens nicely with this method. We always follow this exact process and get a consistency thicker than syrup. It also tends to get a bit thicker as it cools and sits. Thank you for the feedback though, we are planning to make a batch soon and we’ll definitely check everything again!
John Singleton says
I find if you leave lemons in fresh boiled and cooled water for 4hours you will get very juicey And better taste.
Dinos says
I tried this recipe, but left it for over 1 hour in step 8 after reading the comments so that it would reach a setting point of 104.5 C. It turned our really nice. I want to try it now with ginger. How much ginger should you add for your recipe?
Zerrin & Yusuf says
Hi Dinos,
Thanks for trying our recipe—we’re so glad you liked it!
We haven’t tried it with ginger yet, but 2 tablespoons of freshly grated ginger should work nicely. You can add it at step 7 when you add sugar, lemon juice and water into the pot.
We’d love to hear how it turns out with ginger—please let us know! 😊
Drea says
Used sweet lemons. Simmered for 1.5 hours. Added Persian Saffron while it was cooling. Turned out perfect!
Zerrin & Yusuf says
Glad you liked it. Adding saffron is a brilliant idea!
Quentin says
Good morning,
We have tried Home made lemon jam exactly to the recipe and the jam had no set at all. Consistency of water.
Zerrin & Yusuf says
Hi Quentin,
We are sorry to hear that. Not sure what might be the reason. Lemon peel and lemon juice are natural pectin, so the jam normally settles thanks to these. We always use this method and it has a consistency thicker than syrup. It gets a bit thicker as it sits and cools down. If you try it again, we would suggest increasing the amount of lemon juice and let it simmer a little more.
Wanda says
I made 3 batches yesterday and it is delicious!
Zerrin & Yusuf says
Hi Wanda,
Yay!!!! Glad you liked it 🙂
Grandchildren- Erin, Bridget says
When it says strain and repeat this step one more time, what step do we repeat? The one before or the one we had just done? Although, excited to see the results and cannot wait. Hopefully it sets properly!
Zerrin & Yusuf says
The 5th step should be repeated.
So after straining, you pour water, bring it to a boil, let it simmer for 10 minutes and strain. We do this twice to remove the bitterness of lemon zest.
Hope this helps.
Leanne says
I followed this receipe to the word and its not overly helpful. Its still very watery and it did not set when cold. I had to reheat it and let it simmer down for an additional 20 mins.it took 3 attempts to share this post
Lucy says
This is delicious. However, the cooking time is simply not long enough for the jam to set... I ended up reheating and reducing the jam for a further 40mins (approx) after finding it hadn't set overnight.
Bob Lim says
Yes agree we have to keep on heating on low or medium heat and stirring it so evaporation may occur and the syrup thicken to become jam. I have Roselle jam before, almost same basic.
Carol says
Howe do I fix already bottled lemon syrup. Mine never set properly.
Yusuf says
Hi Carol,
Is your lemon jam too runny? I mean jams we make at home are not super thick like the store-bought ones. And it is what we are after indeed. They sure have a consistency but not supposed to ne very thick.
On the other hand, if you want your jam with more consistency, pour it in a pan and let it simmer for 15-20 minutes over medium low heat. Check if it is getting thicker. If not yet, you can add in 1 tablespoon lemon juice and let it simmer for another 5 minutes. And then transfer it in a clean jar. Hope this helps.
Barry Clarke says
We love your jam recipe.We've made it a few times now.I have only one question.The final 30 minutes simmer,do you do that with the lid on or the lid off?
Yusuf says
Hi Barry! Glad you enjoyed the recipe! Simmer it without the lid.
Ashley says
How long will this keep in the fridge?
Zerrin & Yusuf says
Hi Ashley!
If the jars are sterilized and sealed, the lemon jam can last in the fridge for about 6 months. Once opened, we recommend consuming it within a month for the best quality.
Erin says
I was very excited to try this simple recipe, unfortunately mine did not thicken at all after cooling. It’s still very runny. Maybe I’ll try simmering it longer. Mine did not reduce in quantity either.
Thanks
Chef Rene Hewitt says
Did anyone try Pectin as a thickener?