When life hands you lemons...

[Jensen]

This photo should give some idea of my predicament:

This tree yields Meyer lemons almost year-round so juicing and freezing isn't really necessary. In the past, I've made my own version of Silver Shred but I'm the only one who eats it so it's a wee bit wasteful. The same goes for lemon cheese.

Help!

[ludja]

This won't put a huge dent in your embarassment of riches... but could save a few for later use by making preserved lemons (Morroccan style)... I've only made this with Eurkeka lemons but I bet it would be wonderful w/Meyers also.

I have a tiny Meyer lemon tree; so I only get a handful per year so far!

[AndrewK]

Lemon Liqueurs? Anyone have a good recipe for that? I've seen one or two great ones for oranges...

Andrew

[Jensen]

What are some uses for preserved lemons?

I did make some limoncello last year. I could probably do that again. Good idea ...

(Edited to add URL)

Edited January 13, 2004 by Jensen (log)

[Mabelline]

Limoncello,by all means; preserved lemons-YES- you'll become addicted to those; but That bounty of Meyer lemons...ooh...that cries for lemon curd or marmalade!!

[GG Mora]

Dayumm...I just want to bury my face in that tree and inhale deeply. Jealousy doesn't even begin to describe what I'm feeling.

In one of the Chez Panisse cookbooks (could be "Chez Panisse Cooking") there's a recipe for Meyer Lemon Cake that I've always wanted to try. Looks like you could fuck it up several times over and still have lemons to spare.

[Katherine]

In the past, I've made my own version of Silver Shred but I'm the only one who eats it so it's a wee bit wasteful.

What's Silver Shred?

[foodie52]

Silver Shred: English lemon marmalade.

Why don't you have a picking party: invite your friends for potluck and let them have at the tree. You'll have stories of their creative attempts at using them to entertain you for the rest of the year!

[Suzanne F]

I'm with GG on total jealousy.

Uses for preserved lemons: everything you cook will be improved by a bit of preserved lemon. Truly. After they've sat for a while and softened, use them to make tagines (chicken with green olives, especially). But also: puree some lemon into you salad dressings; mince it to add to vegetables and stews of all types; blend with butter for a sauce for fish. Fresh lemon is good to perk up just about anything; preserved lemon perks it up AND makes it a bit mysterious.

[Mabelline]

Jensen, I've been making preserved lemons since about 1986,when I found them in an international cookbook dated 1939, from Houston. Since that time, I've continually made them from every different recipe I've come across. I have never had access to Meyers like you have, but you are living with a gold mine!

[ludja]

Uses for preserved lemons: everything you cook will be improved by a bit of preserved lemon. Truly. After they've sat for a while and softened, use them to make tagines (chicken with green olives, especially). But also: puree some lemon into you salad dressings; mince it to add to vegetables and stews of all types; blend with butter for a sauce for fish. Fresh lemon is good to perk up just about anything; preserved lemon perks it up AND makes it a bit mysterious.

ay yup!

classic to garnish stews/tagines

butter sauce for fish sounds great!

have also used in a vinagrette over sliced tomatoes, heavenly. Also, great in orzo salad with black olives, olive oil and parsley...

[essvee]

Here's some dessert recipes. The ice cream is complicated and incredible. Don't forget Marcella's chicken with two lemons. Meyers are perfect for that. Enjoy.

Shaker lemon pie

2 large meyers

1 cup sugar

4 eggs, beaten

pinch of salt

4T butter, melted

3T flour

zest lemons and slice into thin rounds. discard seeds. chop zent very fine, mix lemons and zest with sugar and let stand overnight. make your favorite 2-crust pie dough. mix eggs, with salt, melted butter and flour and into lemon mixture. pour into shell, cover and bake at 425 for 15 min. reduce heat to 375 and bake 20-30 min longer.

Lemon pudding cake

1 cup sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

4 tablespoons butter, melted

1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

Grated zest of 1 lemon

3 eggs, separated

1 1/2 cups milk

Whipped cream (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 1 1/2-quart baking dish or an 8-inch square baking pan. Get out a slightly larger pan, at least 2 inches deep, that will hold the cake pan comfortably.

Combine 3/4 cup of the sugar, the salt and flour in a mixing bowl; stir to blend. Add the melted butter, lemon juice and zest and the egg yolks; stir until thoroughly blended. Stir in the milk.

Beat the egg whites in a bowl with the remaining 1/4 cup sugar until they are stiff but not dry. Fold the beaten egg whites into the lemon mixture. Pour into the prepared baking dish.

Set the dish in the larger pan and pour in hot water to come halfway up the sides of the baking dish. Bake for about 45 minutes, until the top is lightly browned.

Serve warm or chilled, topped with whipped cream, if desired.

CANDIED LEMON PEEL ICE CREAM WITH STRAWBERRY COMPOTE

10 large lemons

2 1/3 cups sugar

8 large egg yolks

4 cups whipping cream

3 cups half and half

1/4 teaspoon salt

16 ounces strawberries, quartered

Using 5-hole citrus zester, remove lemon peel in long thin strips. Halve lemons. Squeeze juice into medium bowl; strain. Combine 1 1/3 cups lemon juice, lemon peel strips, and 2 cups sugar in medium saucepan. Bring to simmer over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Simmer gently until liquid is slightly syrupy, about 10 minutes. Strain through sieve into bowl, reserving lemon peel and syrup separately. Transfer peel to small baking pan; add 1/3 cup sugar and toss to coat. Separate pieces with fork. Let dry 2 hours. Reserve 1/4 cup candied lemon peel strips. Coarsely chop remaining candied peel.

Whisk 1 cup syrup and yolks in large bowl to blend (cover and chill remaining syrup). Bring cream, half and half and salt to simmer in medium saucepan over medium heat. Gradually whisk hot cream mixture into egg mixture. Return to saucepan. Whisk over medium heat until temperature registers 180°F, about 6 minutes (do not boil). Strain custard into large bowl. Chill until cold.

Process custard in ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions; add chopped candied peel during last 5 minutes. Transfer ice cream to bowl. Cover and freeze 4 hours. (Syrup, candied peel and ice cream can be made 2 days ahead. Keep syrup refrigerated. Store peel airtight at room temperature. Keep ice cream frozen.)

Stir 1/2 cup syrup in saucepan over medium heat until heated through. Add strawberries. Refrigerate compote at least 4 hours and up to 8 hours.

Scoop ice cream into bowls. Top with compote and candied lemon strips.

Meyer lemon pudding

2 T butter

1/2 cup sugar

3 eggs, sep

1 cup milk

1 1/2 T flour

1/3 cup juice

grated rind of 1 meyer

cream butter and sugar. beat in yolks one at a time. add milk, flour, juice and rind. mixture may look curdled. beat whties to soft peaks. fold into batter. pour into 1.5 quart souffle dish and place in bain marie. bake at 350 for 50-60 min or until light brown on top.

Meyer lemon sherbet

3 goodsize meyers

1 cup + 3 T sugar

4 cups water

2T fruity white wine

wash lemons. zest them, producing long threads of zest. juice lemons and strain into bowl with peel. heat sugar with 1 cup water, then add rest of water and lemon. freeze in ice cream freezer or granita-style.

[essvee]

I meant to say the ice cream is time-consuming. It's not particularly complicated. Here's another cake recipe.

VANILLA BEAN LEMON CAKE

INGREDIENTS:

1 3/4 sticks unsalted butter, slightly softened

2 cups sugar

1 vanilla bean, split

Grated zest of 4 lemons

4 extra-large eggs, at room temperature

3 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

3/4 cup buttermilk, at room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Lemon Icing

2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons hot milk

Pinch of salt

INSTRUCTIONS: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 10 x 5 1/4-inch loaf pan with baker's spray. Line the pan with a long piece of parchment and spray that, too. It's OK if the parchment hangs over the sides of the pan.

Combine the butter and all but 1 tablespoon of the sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat until light and fluffy. The mixture will lighten in color until almost white.

Sprinkle the 1 tablespoon of sugar onto the split and opened vanilla pod; scrape out the seeds using a small knife. Add half of the vanilla seed/sugar to the butter mixture; reserve the remainder. Stir in the lemon zest. Beat in the eggs, 1 at a time.

Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt onto a piece of wax paper.

Combine the lemon juice, buttermilk and vanilla extract in a small bowl.

Add the dry ingredients alternately with the liquid ingredients to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Remove the bowl from the mixer and use a spatula to give a couple of last folds from the bottom of the bowl. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and tap lightly on the countertop.

Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, until the cake pulls away from the sides of the pan and a tester comes out clean when inserted into the center of the cake.

Transfer the pan to a rack and let cool for 10 minutes, then turn the cake out onto a rack set over a tray.

For the lemon icing: Put the powdered sugar and butter in a small bowl. Pour the lemon juice and hot milk over them and whisk until smoothly blended. Whisk in the pinch of salt and the reserved vanilla/sugar. Spoon the icing over the cake and spread it over the sides.

Try the cake with strawberries and raspberries that have been tossed with vanilla syrup.

If you are serving the cake with fruit, you can delete the icing.

Serves 8 to 10.

[Jensen]

Silver Shred: English lemon marmalade.

Why don't you have a picking party: invite your friends for potluck and let them have at the tree. You'll have stories of their creative attempts at using them to entertain you for the rest of the year!

I made 'Silver Shred' the first year I moved to Sacramento; I could find it only in the British store and the bottle labelled 99p cost $7.00!!!

I don't think the picking party would go over very well. Everybody knows somebody with a lemon tree; you can't give them away!

I will try the preserved lemons though. I looked at a recipe for them last year and pondered it.

[jackal10]

Juice and freeze the juice in ice cube trays, then bag for use in the rest of the year

Make punch (rum, lemon, sugar)

Pancakes with lemon and sugar

[alanamoana]

definitely a meyer lemon curd would be delicious if you're tired of silver shred. the preserved lemons can be used as stated earlier or in some form of gremolata with toasted nuts, chopped herbs and preserved lemons.

man, you are very lucky to have such a beautiful tree...no fair bragging when it's in the 'teens here in nyc!!!

[fifi]

One of my first acts after I get the house built will be to plant a Meyer lemon tree. The place is on a peninsula in Galveston Bay and has a microclimate that should allow it to survive to adulthood. Then I will fondly remember this thread and go searching for it.

I just started a batch of preserved lemons having lost my stash somehow. I can only imagine preserved Meyers. I use the method in Patricia Wells' book At Home in Provence. It is basically just salt and lemon juice and it sits around for a few weeks.

[hjshorter]

Whaddya want for a box of those? Would you ship to Maryland?

[AzRaeL]

Marmalade..YUM

[canadiancook]

How about a sicilian summer breakfast - Lemon Granita with sweet brioche buns.

Lemon cheesecake is also great.

[JPW]

Lemon options-

Deep Fried lemon slices (don't knock it until you've tried it).

Pretend you're Greek and start using lemons wherever recipes say vinegar. I especially enjoy lemon juice based vinaigrettes (sic) and lemon based marinades.

[ludja]

meyer lemon rice pudding

meyer lemon risotto

[Mabelline]

JPW- for deep fried lemon slices, are they in a tempura batter?

Avgolemonos-greatstuff!

[JPW]

JPW- for deep fried lemon slices, are they in a tempura batter?

Tempura would probably work fine, but just about any batter will do.

[Carolyn Tillie]

JPW- for deep fried lemon slices, are they in a tempura batter?

Tempura would probably work fine, but just about any batter will do.

Panko!!!!