Lemon Butter

Now that spring is here our hens are laying like there is no tomorrow. Meanwhile all the lemon trees in the area are weighing heavily under the burden of their fruit. So it is now the time of year when I make all my lemon butter that will be given away as presents come Christmas time.

*This recipe has been adapted from one that can be found in the P.W.M.U Cookbook*

Ingredients

125g Unsalted butter
2 cups Sugar
4 Standard-sized eggs (or 6 bantam eggs), lightly beaten
Juice of 4 big lemons
Grated zest of 2 lemons

Method

1. Grate the rind of two lemons and then juice all four
2. Put the butter and sugar into a pan onto the LOWEST heat possible. Stir until the butter is melted and well combined with the sugar
3. Mix through the lemon juice and zest. Stir through until the sugar has dissolved
4. Now take the pan off the heat and add the eggs. Whisk immediately to prevent lemon flavoured scrambled eggs. If you are worried that the mixture is too hot then let it cool slightly before adding the eggs
5. Place the pan back onto the stove top (still on the LOWEST heat) and whisk constantly until the mixture has thickened
6. Pour into sterilised jars, allow to cool and seal. Then add preserving wax to the lids

**Sterilizing Jars**

1. I save all glass jars that have the pop button on top. The only exception to this rule is Heinz baby food jars. They rarely reseal properly.
2. Preheat the oven to 100 degrees
3. Scrub the jars thoroughly in very hot soapy water. I allow them to drain a little and then pour boiling water over them to rinse them.
4. Now pop them into the oven on trays at 100 degrees to dry them. They need stay in the oven until I fill them.
5. Then I remove them using the trays (do not touch them or they will no longer be sterile). When the jars are filled, pop the lids on (try not to touch the inside of the lid) and allow the jars too cool. Once the buttons pop down they are sealed.
6. They can be stored like this, but as an extra precaution, they can be either dipped into preserving wax or paint the wax around the lid.