Meyer Lemons: Recipes and Storage

[Ron Johnson]

What kind of lemons are those that you find in the markets around Positano and on Capri? You know the ones that are the size of grapefruits.

[Jim Dixon]

They're limone di sorrento, and those who live on the Sorrentine peninsula claim that you can't really make limoncello without them.

Jim

[monkeymay]

I 'm just finishing up the last of about 20# of Meyer lemons I got from my Dad's tree, which just exploded with fruit this year. So far I have used them for preserved lemons, limoncello, and limone di budino, which is like curd but thickened with cornstarch and flavored with limoncello.There are also quarts of juice in the freezer for making sorbet/granita later on in the season.

I find the peels from the Meyers turn my limoncello bright yellow almost immediately (I use 100 proof vodka). I let mine rest about 40 days, strain and add simple syrup. I 've just finished a batch I'm most proud of -

blood oranges flavored with a couple of fresh bay leaves. The color is absolutely beautiful and the taste is extraordinarily delicious! I've been using it over diced strawberries tossed with a few grindings of fresh black pepper - my new favorite for the first berries of the season.

[Liza]

Gad that sounds delicious, MM. Would you mind sharing a recipe for non-pros to try at home? Many thanks,

Liza

[FoodMan]

I 've just finished a batch I'm most proud of -

blood oranges flavored with a couple of fresh bay leaves. The color is absolutely beautiful and the taste is extraordinarily delicious! I've been using it over diced strawberries tossed with a few grindings of fresh black pepper - my new favorite for the first berries of the season.

It sure sounds wonderfull, I have to try that.

So much liquor...so little time.

FM

Edited April 10, 2003 by FoodMan (log)

[monkeymay]

Awhh, there's always time for liquor...

Liza, which recipe would you like? Let me know and I'll post it.

Gotta run, late for another stupid meeting...

Monkey

[Aquitaine]

Awhh, there's always time for liquor...

Liza, which recipe would you like? Let me know and I'll post it.

Gotta run, late for another stupid meeting...

Monkey

I vote for both recipes, please! (Lemon and blood oranges....bay sounds brilliant!)

[monkeymay]

Okay, here's the limoncello recipe I use:

10-12 Meyer lemons, well washed

1 quart of vodka (or everclear when I can find it)

2 cups of sugar

3 cups of water

Use a vegetable peeler to remove all the zest from the lemons. If you find you are getting a lot of pith wih your zest (as the Meyers are so thin skinned), simply scrape it off with a paring knife.

Place zest and vodka in a glass jar with a tight fitting lid and let rest for

40 days in a nice dark place.

For the syrup:

Combine the sugar and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Let it cool completely before adding it to the vodka. Strain the zest thru a fine mesh strainer, and add the syrup to taste, and pour into a glass bottle. I keep mine chilled in the fridge.

For the blood orange/laurel:

12 blood oranges well washed

2 quarts of vodka

2 fresh bay leaves

3 cups of sugar

4 cups of water

Peel the skin away from the oranges using a knife, and remove all the white pith from the skin and the oranges. Place the zest, oranges and bay leaves in a glass jar and let rest for 40 days.

Make the syrup accordingly, let it cool and add to strained vodka.Pour into glass bottles for keeping.

Two things:

As I see it, making this stuff is a little like alchemy, figuring out what works and is pleasing to your taste. Therefore, you might want to check the flavor of the laurel leaves after a couple of weeks. It is a distinct taste, and I ended up removing two of the original 3 that I had put in. I didn't want it to overwhelm the orange flavor. The flavor profile I have is major orange with an overtone of the laurel perfume.

Second, when you strain the zest, you can push it thru your strainer to get the rest of the oils, but don't be tempted to do it with the fruit.The juice will make it cloudy and destroy the beautiful color.

Instead, use it to make a fabulous screwdriver.

Enjoy!

[Jason Perlow]

Here is a recipe for Bood Orange Laurel.

Here is a recipe for Meyer Lemoncello.

[Ron Johnson]

They're limone di sorrento, and those who live on the Sorrentine peninsula claim that you can't really make limoncello without them.

Jim

They're right.

[sarah o]

After having my dwarf meyer lemon for 2 years, I finally harvested its first fruit!I feel like a proud new mother!

Now, what do i do with one lonely meyer lemon?

open to ideas

The skin since i picked it 2 days ago has become unbelievably smooth and shiny, why is this? And why does it not happen with regular lemons?

Hey, how do u make the photos larger?

[Patrick S]

After having my dwarf meyer lemon for 2 years, I finally harvested its first fruit!I feel like a proud new mother!

Now, what do i do with one lonely meyer lemon?

open to ideas

The skin since i picked it 2 days ago has become unbelievably smooth and shiny, why is this? And why does it not happen with regular lemons?

Hey, how do u make the photos larger?

←

You're linking to the thumbnail rather than the picture. Here's the full-size:

[carp]

Since you only have one lemon you might want to just slice it up and eat it. I find they are usually mild and sweet enough to eat thinly sliced. I like to use them as a garnish in place of regular lemons when serving crab (Dungeness of course), oysters, and other seafood. I also like to use them for making lemonade and homemade sours, but since you only have one… you should get more!

It makes a great vinaigrette. I love lemon vinaigrette and meyer lemons make the best.

That soft smooth skin yields some fantastic zest. I make sure to include a bit of it no matter what I might be using the lemon for.

I like meyer lemon crème anglaise and meyer lemon hollandaise… and one lemon might just be enough to make a batch.

[Patrick S]

That is a perty lemon. But what can you do with a single lemon? Maybe vodka with a twist? Drizzle it on a piece of chicken maybe?

[duckduck]

There was an old thread on meyer lemons here.

Edited February 28, 2005 by duckduck (log)

[Jeni Hicks]

Mmmm...make crepes.

Squeeze lemon juice over crepe, sprinkle ever so lightly with sugar, roll up and eat......very British, and very delicious.

One lemon will provide enough juice for about 6-8 crepes....it doesn't take much.

Jeni

[ludja]

Mmmm...make crepes. 

Squeeze lemon juice over crepe, sprinkle ever so lightly with sugar, roll up and eat......very British, and very delicious.

One lemon will provide enough juice for about 6-8 crepes....it doesn't take much.

Jeni

←

Remove the peel first before juicing the lemon, cut into thin threads and mince; then use to flavor a creme anglaise. Serve the creme anglaise with a nice piece of pound cake...

[wine&dine]

Since you do not have enough lemon to make something grand. I would make a Lemon~Orange Curd that could be enjoyed in a small fruit tart, on a scone or drizzled over a cake or tea bread.

[birder53]

Make Aviations!

[Woods]

After having my dwarf meyer lemon for 2 years, I finally harvested its first fruit!I feel like a proud new mother!

Now, what do i do with one lonely meyer lemon?

open to ideas

The skin since i picked it 2 days ago has become unbelievably smooth and shiny, why is this? And why does it not happen with regular lemons?

Hey, how do u make the photos larger?

←

Sarah, I just harvested my first two as well. I decided just to use them on fish, broccoli etc as I have so few. You could also glace the peel.

Woods

[sarah o]

Thanks guys for all the great ideas. The lemon creme anglaise sounds good, and the vinaigrette, and the ......, they all sound great. but i decided a simple glass of lemonade so i can experience my first taste of meyer lemon to its fullest!

now i have to work on getting my persian lime to produce past the flowering stage.

I also have a kaffir lime that i would like to do something with.

Can u use the leaves in pastry or confections , or are they too powerful!

anybody tried this?

If so, let me know.

Sarah

[cookman]

I have a dwarf Meyer lemon tree that I move inside for the winter. Every year, the plant gives me about a dozen large lemons to cook with. Last year, I used them, fresh off the tree during the winter, to make lemon pound cake, lemon pudding cake, white chocolate lemon tarts, lemon tarts, etc. I'm curious if you all have special lemon-based recipes that you feel would be particularly suited for those fragrant Meyer lemons.

[Gifted Gourmet]

Last year, I had some Meyer lemons and was looking for recipes. At that time I found this article with a lot of information and several recipes. So I wound up making the Meyer Custard-Cream Pie which was wonderful ... other things I liked reading from the article

"If a recipe asks for the zest of two Eureka lemons, I might use five [Meyers]." Lindsey Shere, on the other hand, doesn't increase Meyer quantities in recipes calling for standard lemons; if necessary, she augments the tartness with a little Eureka lemon juice.

Shere makes allowances for Meyers getting increasingly sweeter and more orange as the season progresses from December to March.

In general, both chefs like Meyer lemons in delicate desserts such as sorbets and ice creams, custards, Bavarians, and tarts. The zest also does wonders for cookie doughs and poached fruit. Shere also loves the lemons candied.

[eje]

I made a pizza crust and topped it with a base of thin slices of meyer lemon and peeled asian pear. I dropped on some nuggets of bellwether farms fromage blanc seasoned with oregano and lemon zest. Baked until golden brown.

Was pretty darn tasty.

I like Meyer Lemons when they get a bit over-ripe. You can really taste the tangerine in their ancestry.

[bluechefk]

i really like this meyer lemon pie - it's from one of emily luchetti's books (sorry - can't recall which one). i've only ever made these as individual servings - not sure how it'd work as one big pie, fyi.

Meyer Lemon Pie

6 large meyer lemons halved

6 cups sugar

6 tablespoons sugar

9 each eggs

12 ounces lemon juice

3 ounces heavy cream

12 tablespoons sugar

18 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tablespoon salt

4 1/2 pounds butter cold

9 ounces ice water

Preheat oven to 375.

Combine sugar, flour and salt. Cut in butter to the size of small peas. Pour in just enough water so the dough comes together - will look rough in bowl, but will hold together when you squeeze it. Do not overwork or add too much water. Chill. Roll out 1/8" thick and cut into circles to fit flan rings. Partially bake shells.

Halve lemons. Slice paper thin and seed. Toss with 6 cups of sugar let sit for 20 minutes. Lightly whisk eggs. Stir into lemons. Add lemon juice. Place in tart shells. Roll remaining dough, and cut out circles to fit top of tarts plus a little extra. Cut out small steam holes, and fit dough on top of tarts. Fold extra dough under, and crimp edges to seal. Brush with cream and sprinkle with remaining sugar.

Bake for 20 minutes at 375. Reduce heat to 350 and bake until filling is thick and bubbly. If pie browns too much, cover with foil. Cool.