Clean the lemons and persimmons using cold water, rubbing gently with a clean cloth or soft food brush

Cut the lemons in half and juice, reserve juice

Using a very sharp knife, slice the lemons crosswise as thinly as possible to achieve a smoother, creamier marmalade. A time consuming effort but well worth the time, it really makes a big difference in the marmalade texture.

Peel persimmons and discard peels, cut persimmons into chunks

Add lemons to a large heavy bottom stock pot and cover them with cold water.

Bring to a boil until the lemon peel is tender, about 10-15 minutes.

Drain and rinse the peels thoroughly with cold water. Rinse out the pot too.

Return lemons to the pot, add chopped persimmons and 1 ½ cups water and bring to a boil

Stir in 3 ½ cups sugar

Reduce heat to simmer. Cook until mixture is thick and creamy, about 1 hour

Taste and add up to 1 ½ cups sugar to taste.

Stir in ½ cup reserved lemon juice

(freeze or can remaining juice after removing pips)

Remove marmalade from heat

Pips will turn a dark brown during cooking, remove as many as possible before packing jars

Pour hot marmalade into prepared jars leaving ¼ inch headspace, using a butter knife, remove air bubbles by sliding the blade around the jar edges

Wipe rims with clean towel and cover with lids and rims

Process in a hot water bath for 15 minutes