Meyer Lemon Ginger Concentrate

I know. This blog has been awfully citrus heavy of late. So much so that it wouldn’t be a stretch to rename things Citrus in Jars (with the occasional fermented vegetable). Yet, here I am again, with more lemons. And not even a project-y marmalade or curd. Just a concentrate.

Thing is, it’s been something of a brutal winter here in Philadelphia (though not as soul sucking as our friends in New England have had to live through) and I’m still working my way through the citrus recipes for the natural sweeteners book. I just don’t have a whole lot of creativity left. And so I return to the things I know and love.

And these citrus-based concentrates? I LOVE them because they are delicious and versatile. You can use them to sweeten your fizzy water (I know I suggest this a lot, but as someone who drinks many quart jars of water a day, it makes for a nice occasional treat). They work well in cocktails. And I’ve yet to meet a poundcake that appreciate a few drizzles of flavored syrup.

What’s more, next time you want to make a pitcher of lemonade, you can just pop open a jar, dilute it with water, ice it down, and serve.

I used Meyer lemons in this batch, but if those feel too dear, just use plain old grocery store lemons. It will be a little bit more tart, but you can always temper that by adding the juice of one orange to the mix.

Another place where you might want to make a switch is in sweetener. I used evaporated cane juice, but one could just as easily go with honey. Just use about a third less if you make that swap.

Finally, let’s talk ginger. I grated a huge hunk of ginger on a microplane until I had 1/4 cup of pulp. If the lemon ginger combo isn’t your thing, you could also try some lavender, cardamom, or even a little cayenne if you want a spicy kick. Just strain the syrup through a tightly woven sieve before canning.

One last thing. If you don’t choose to zest your lemons for a salt blend before squeezing, make sure to heap the into a jar and cover them with white vinegar. Let them steep for a couple of days and then strain out all the spent lemon rinds. They will have given their essence to the vinegar and it will make for a very lovely cleaning fluid. I use it as a countertop spray and it cuts through the grease like you wouldn’t believe.

PrintMeyer Lemon Ginger Concentrate

Ingredients

3 pounds lemons
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar (or 1 cup honey, if you want it to be naturally sweetened)
1/4 cup freshly grated ginger

Instructions

Juice lemons.
Measure out 2 1/2 cups of juice and pour it into a small saucepan.
Add sugar and ginger.
Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes, to reduce slightly.
Remove the pan from the stove and let it sit for an hour or two, to further infuse the ginger flavor.
Strain concentrate through a fine mesh sieve to remove ginger. Rinse out the pan and return the concentrate to it.
Bring the concentrate back to a boil.
Funnel the hot liquid into three half pint jars.
Wipe rims, apply lids and rings, and process in a boiling water bath canner for 10 minutes.
When time is up, remove jars from canner and place them on a folded kitchen towel to cool.
When jars are cool enough to handle, check to ensure that the lids have sealed. Sealed jars are shelf stable for up to one year. Unsealed jars should be refrigerated and used promptly. 3.1http://foodinjars.com/2015/03/meyer-lemon-ginger-concentrate/

Related Posts:

Tips for Selecting, Prepping, and Preserving Lemons
Meyer Lemon Syrup
Honey Sweetened Meyer Lemon Jam