SURE.JELL® Honey Lemon Marmalade

Prep Time: 1 hr min
Total Time: 3 hr 40 min
Makes: About 5 (1-cup) jars or 80 servings, 1 Tbsp. each

3 cups prepared fruit (buy 7 lemons)
1-1/2 cups water
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 box SURE.JELL Fruit Pectin
1/2 tsp. butter or margarine
2 cups sugar, measured into separate bowl
2 cups honey

BRING boiling-water canner, half full with water, to simmer. Wash jars and screw bands in hot soapy water. Pour boiling water over flat lids in saucepan off the heat. Let stand in hot water until ready to use. Drain jars well before filling.
REMOVE colored part of peel from lemons using vegetable peeler; chop peel and set aside. Peel and discard remaining white part of peel from lemons. Chop lemons, reserving any juice; set aside. Place peels, water and baking soda in large saucepan. Bring to boil. Reduce heat; cover. Simmer 10 min, stirring occasionally. Add chopped lemons and reserved juice; cover. Simmer an additional 20 min.
MEASURE exactly 3 cups prepared fruit into 6- or 8-qt. saucepot. Stir in pectin. Add butter to reduce foaming. Bring to full rolling boil (a boil that doesn't stop bubbling when stirred) on high heat, stirring constantly. Add sugar and honey; stir. Return to full rolling boil and boil exactly 1 min., stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim off any foam with metal spoon.
LADLE immediately into prepared jars, filling to within 1/8 inch of tops. Wipe jar rims and threads. Cover with two-piece lids. Screw bands tightly. Place jars on elevated rack in canner. Lower rack into canner. (Water must cover jars by 1 to 2 inches. Add boiling water, if necessary.) Cover; bring water to gentle boil. Process 5 min. Remove jars and place upright on a towel to cool completely. After jars cool, check seals by pressing middles of lids with finger. (If lids spring back, lids are not sealed and refrigeration is necessary.)

Here is some info from two articles on webmd.com. I always like to know the why.

But despite its long history and bright future, honey has been associated with food poisoning. Since infant botulism, a type of food poisoning, was first recognized in 1976, there have been more than 1,200 cases reported. Fortunately, new reports declined after the American Academy of Pediatrics advised against feeding honey to children under the age of 1.

Infant botulism is caused by dormant bacteria that aren't killed with heat disinfection. Older children and adults aren't affected, but infants don't have enough "healthy" intestinal bacteria to fight the disease.

The concern about honey, whether raw or processed, is that sometimes the honey has spores of a particular germ in it (Clostridium botulinum spores). Babies have particular types of bacteria in their intestine, so that they don't handle these spores very well that are in honey, and spores can germinate inside the baby's intestine and cause the bacteria to grow, and the young infants can come down with a condition called infantile botulism, which can present with a variety of symptoms including neurological ones, that can be very harmful. So that's why we don't recommend honey for infants. By the time the baby is about one-year-old or older, their immune systems and intestines have changed, so they don't have the same reaction to these spores, so honey is safe for toddlers, but not so for young infants. I would recommend that children under the age of 12 months not have raw or processed honey.

Some medical sites say don't give it to babies under 12 months, some say 18 months.

I've used honey using the no sugar needed pectins, the best I found was Mrs Wages Lite. You can add up to 3 cups of honey. I made cherry jam with a mint infusion and honey, it was soooo delicious. And also made an apricot jam but used Ball no sugar needed pectin and so far it's runny...I guess it will be good on pancakes, waffles and ice cream.

I've also used honey in applesauce and applebutter.

I have a question for all of the experts...once the mixture of apples and honey is boiled and then processed wouldn't this kill any bacteria?

Well, you would think it would not survive,especially if someone were to pressure canned it, but I won't dispute the doctors on this one.
They told my daughter not to give our grandbaby honey graham crackers, either.

This is from one doctor:
Although parents often know not to give their infants under twelve months of age plain honey, they often overlook other foods that contain honey in them, such as Honey Graham Crackers, Honey Nut Cheerios, Honey Wheat Bread, etc. Although the honey in these foods may be processed, it may not be pasteurized, and so may still contain botulism spores in them and should be avoided. If you feel strongly about giving these foods to your infant, call the manufacturer to make sure that they are safe.

Created: October 3, 2004
Vincent Iannelli, M.D., is a board-certified pediatrician, fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics, and an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas.

I did get some peaches canned yesterday. I used honey and water to make a light syrup. It tastes really good and think that it will work well with the peaches.

Stacie

Hi stacie

I cant use sugar and have to use honey...There is a great book you can get called "Canning and Preserving without sugar" by Norma McRae. I found a copy in the local library.
It has recipes for chutney, savoury sauces as well as fruit preserves, which you seem to have mastered already.

regards

Helen

My Xyiltol and maltitol have just arrived. Both look exactly the granulated sugar. I bought these along with a big jar of Pickle Crisp, the bulk package of calcium chloride.