Makes 4-5 small jars (250ml)
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 2 hours

• 8 medium lemons with a thin peel
• 1 vanilla pod
• 1kg castor sugar

1 Scrub the lemons well and dry them. Then cut them, peel and all, into thin slices and again into quarters. Place in a large saucepan with 1.5 litres of water and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer the fruit uncovered for about 1 hour or until the lemon peel is soft and the liquid has reduced by at least a third.
2 Slice the vanilla pod in half lengthways and scrape out the seeds. Add the pod, seeds and castor sugar to the lemons and stir until dissolved. Bring to the boil and simmer over medium heat for 30 minutes, or until the jam wrinkles when you drop a spoonful onto an ice cold plate and push your finger into it. Skim off any foam from the jam and stir regularly so the jam doesn’t stick and burn.
3 Remove the saucepan from the heat and skim off the last bit of foam. Pour the jam into sterilised jars and seal while hot. Enjoy it on brioche with a spoonful of mascarpone.

Words: Johane Neilson, Home magazine
Image: Francois Oberholster