Hello, sunshine. Alas, it will be another few months, early May at the earliest, before we Quebecers get our hands on anything grown locally (that is, anything that hasn’t been sitting in cold storage for six months – like apples, carrots, onions and cabbage). And though I’m not a fan of those bloated, rose-coloured Mexican strawberries or the blueberries from Chile that taste like cardboard (it’s true: for most of the year, we are a sadly fruit-deprived nation), I do long for tasty citrus right about now, and the good stuff has been rolling into town from Florida, California and southern Europe for weeks now. So I snagged some Meyer lemons from Fruiterie Chez Nino and got to work on something I’ve had on my wish list for some time now: Meyer lemon and vanilla marmalade. Mais oui!

Meyers are a cross between a lemon and a mandarin, hence their orange-y complexion and sweeter taste. Now, here is my take on marmalade: take it easy. Keep it simple. Since I only use the thinnest zest and no white peel, there’s no need for overnight soaking and the formula couldn’t be easier: just mix equal parts fruit and sugar with a little water, cook until desired set is achieved, and can. Done. Or refrigerate if not canning (and eat up soon).

It helps to use a good peeler, like my Oxo peeler with ferociously sharp metal teeth:

It’s like it was born to peel perfect, thin ribbons of citrus zest for marmalade.

Easy Meyer lemon and vanilla marmalade

14-16 Meyer lemons, maybe more (enough to make 4 cups of juicy fruit)

4 cups sugar

1.5 cups water

2 vanilla beans

Scrub your lemons with a vegetable scrubber under cold water, peel the thinnest layer of zest possible (no white stuff), then cut zest into very thin strips, like angel hair pasta. You can use the peels of all your lemons if you like, or, if you prefer use less (perhaps from 3/4 of the lemons).

Put the strips of zest in the water as you carry on with the recipe, to prevent them drying out and to soften them a little. Now, using a sharp knife, cut away a slice of white pith from both ends, thereby creating two flat sides. Sit your lemon on one of these flat sides, steadying it on your work surface, then work your way around the fruit, cutting away all the white pith that remains.

Slice open your lemon, cut away the thick white center bit, then remove any seeds and chop coarsely, removing any chunky white bits. Do this with all your lemons. Continue scooping the juice and fruit bits into a bowl or measuring cup. You should have about four cups. (You can also cheat and do the chopping in a food processor after removing as much of the white stuff as possible.)

Mix fruit with sugar, water and peel, pour this melange into a pot and cook over medium-low heat at first to dissolve sugar. Now bring it to a low boil/simmer over medium-high heat and cook, stirring frequently until it darkens in colour and begins to set (put it on a cold spoon and if it gels in a few seconds, it’s ready). I cooked mine about 40 minutes.

And there you have it: a vanilla-flecked Meyer lemon delicacy. It’s a gentle, de-clawed marmalade, a fine entry point into the world of marms for those who think they don’t like them because they’re too bitter. There’s no pungent bite, just dulcet, lemony goodness with tender, wispy tendrils of tangy zest and a vanilla accent that makes it taste like cake. Even non-marmalade fans will rejoice!