Description
Creamy italian lemon spread delight brings Mediterranean sunshine to your palate. Home cooks can easily craft this zesty condiment with simple ingredients, promising a refreshing taste adventure.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 4 large lemons
- 2 cups (480 milliliters) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (240 milliliters) water
Flavor Enhancer:
- 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 milliliters) vanilla extract (optional)
Instructions
- Thoroughly sanitize work surfaces and gather all necessary equipment for precise lemon spread preparation.
- Select fresh, vibrant lemons and meticulously remove outer zest, capturing the aromatic essential oils while avoiding bitter white pith.
- Extract lemon juice, carefully straining to eliminate seeds and pulp, ensuring a smooth liquid base for the spread.
- Transfer juice, zest, granulated sweetener, and water into a heavy-bottomed saucepan, whisking gently to create a uniform mixture.
- Apply medium heat, stirring consistently to dissolve sugar crystals and prevent potential scorching at the bottom of the pan.
- Allow mixture to reach a gentle boil, then immediately reduce temperature to maintain a soft simmer, creating a slow reduction process.
- Monitor consistency carefully, stirring periodically to prevent uneven thickening and potential burning.
- Conduct gel test by placing a small dollop on a chilled ceramic plate – if mixture wrinkles when pushed, it has reached ideal spreadable texture.
- Immediately remove from heat to prevent overcooking, which could result in bitter or overly caramelized flavor profile.
- Carefully pour hot spread into sterilized glass containers, leaving minimal air space to ensure proper preservation.
- Allow spread to cool completely at room temperature before sealing, which prevents condensation and potential bacterial growth.
- Store in refrigerator, where spread will continue to set and maintain optimal texture for several weeks.
Notes
- Zesting Pro: Use a microplane or fine grater to extract maximum zest without the bitter white pith underneath.
- Sweetness Control: Adjust sugar quantity based on lemon tartness; Meyer lemons require less sugar compared to standard varieties.
- Consistency Trick: Slow simmering ensures perfect gel-like texture without burning; stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
- Storage Wisdom: Refrigerated spread keeps up to 2 weeks in sealed sterilized jars; develop deeper flavor after 24-48 hours of resting.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 31g
- Sodium: 1mg
- Fat: 0g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 64g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 0g
- Cholesterol: 0mg