This photo and question come from Courtnay, who was recently on the receiving end of big, beautiful bushel of lemons:
Yesterday my patient brought me a giant bag of something. He said they are lemons (possible Meyer) but they look like tangerines. They are sour. What can I do with them?? I would like to preserve at least some of them. Is there any way to freeze them or make something out of them that could be frozen? What about jam/ curd? I am limited in my experience having only made freezer jam but am willing to try. Also, how long will these lemons last before I have to use them? They came off the tree yesterday. So really I am looking for any recipes/ tips ranging from deserts to cleaning products.
Courtnay, we wish we could take some off of your hands. Those do indeed look like Meyer lemons, although the bumpy skin looks a lot like that of a yuzu, a Japanese citrus that's a relative of the mandarin orange. (Most Meyer lemons have a smoother skin.) But yuzu isn't as common in the U.S., and that deep, orange-yellow color is more typical of Meyer lemons, so we're guessing that's what you've got.
Meyer lemons are milder and sweeter than regular lemons but still quite tart. We love them around here, and we've got recipes that use a few and recipes that use a lot. Here are our suggestions:
• Lemon Curd (above, left). Here's our review of a Martha Stewart recipe, which has become our template for making curd. It's easy, you can certainly double (or triple) the recipe, and it can be frozen. We might lower the sugar just a bit, since you are using sweeter Meyer lemons.
• Meyer Lemon Shaker Pie (above, right). This is a beautiful pie from Faith that really highlights the lemons, peel and all.
• Preserved Lemons with Cardamom. These are common in Middle Eastern and Moroccan cooking, and they can be expensive if you buy them in the store. Here's a recipe for making your own that will keep for months in the refrigerator.
• Meyer Lemon and Walnut Cake. Another good dessert that lets the lemons take center stage.
• Meyer Lemon Grain Salad with Asparagus, Almonds, and Goat Cheese. If you're trying to use up the last few... This is a great salad for early spring, as asparagus start making their appearance.
• Spaghetti with Mascarpone, Meyer Lemon, Spinach, and Hazelnuts. Another quick meal that calls for a couple of Meyer lemons.
We also bookmarked this recipe from Fine Cooking:
• Lemon Ginger Marmalade. It's a very straightforward jam that uses pectin, which eliminates some of the guesswork. It will keep for a while in the refrigerator and could easily work with Meyer lemons.
You should also take a look at this post:
• Reader Feedback: What Should We Do with These Lemons? There are a lot of good ideas in the comments.
Those are our thoughts. Any other ideas for Courtnay?
Related: Seasonal Spotlight: Meyer Lemons
(Top image: Courtnay Gross)
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Last time I was given a big bag of lemons, I juiced them. I used an electric citrus juicer and poured the juice in ice cube trays and froze them. I have a big freezer bag full of lemon juice cubes now so I always have fresh lemon juice on hand. Each cube is about 2 tablespoons.
geogneiss, you read my mind! I've been craving super-sour lemonade, and those sweeter Meyer lemons might mean you could do without the sugar. Mmmmmm. Oh, and then cocktails!
Wow--I envy your good fortune! Those are Meyer lemons. And that is a HUGE bag full. Make a jar of preserved lemons, make lemonade, zest a few of them and freeze the zest for future use. Make a lemon meringue pie, a lemon pound cake. Give some away to worthy friends. Then juice the rest and freeze it in small containers.
A friend,who is a better cook than I, lives for blueberry-Meyer lemonade. Says it's the perfect sweet-tart balance. I only ask that you tell us about it if you try it.
If you like to drink, you could make sweet and sour mix (it's just lemon juice and sugar) and freeze it. I highly recommend the Shaker Lemon Pie (I made the tart recipe posted here that was based on it, it was amazing) with Meyers.
Lemon cakes are another favorite of mine, any sort, really. I like the French style yogurt-cake from Orangette, especially since it's increadibly easy.
Lemon pudding would be good, too.
Save the peel, whatever you decide to do, and make a sort of limoncello.
http://lucullian.blogspot.com/2006/01/limoncello.html
Also, you could use some of the peels to make candied lemon peels. Tried them in the south of France and they are sooo delicious. Best not to waste any of that gorgeous gift!
http://bitten.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/09/19/preserving-a-slice-of-california/#more-471
From Mark Bittman, been dreaming of a bag of lemons to make it with. Lucky you!
I like to make Rosemary Lemon sorbet. It's easy to tweak it so it's sweeter or sourer and the flavors go so well together.
I also save some of the mix for it to make cocktails with vanilla vodka or lemoncello and sometimes a tiny bit of raspberry or pomegranate syrup.
wow! Thanks for posting my question with so many good ideas!
So far I have made a big pitcher of lemonade and a lemon poppy seed cake. The cake did not work so well because the lemon flavor is too subtle.
Today I am going to try some curd and something to take into work tomorrow to share. Maybe the pie?
Thanks again!
I have a prolific Meyer lemon tree in my backyard. This article from the LA Times, "100 Things to do With a Meyer Lemon," has been very helpful for giving me new ideas about what to do with all of those lemons:
http://www.latimes.com/features/food/la-fo-meyerlemons16jan16,0,6158499,full.story
lemon bars! lemon bars! lemon bars! the joy of cooking has a GREAT recipe!
You could also make Limoncello, a delicious liqueur. It will use a lot of juice and rind, but it will last you for a very long time.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limoncello
They'd be great for making a homemade sorbet. You can hollow out the lemon halves and freeze the sorbet in there - very pretty for parties.
Also, this is a great post on cooking with Meyer lemons vs. regular lemons:
How about a lemon granita? Juice the lemons, add pinch of salt and sugar to taste, maybe even a splash of vodka.
Pour the mixture into a 9 by 13 pan and pop in the freezer. Scrape the mixture every hour or so until the desired consistency is reached.
I just did this with some Cara Cara oranges and it was delicious. I might have to try grapefruits next.
If that's a bag of lemons, I'd just strip naked and do a happy dance, Meyer or not!
I have a prolific Meyer lemon tree, am forever in search of recipes, here are some of my favorite uses:
* lemon juice cubes (if you don't need a lot of lemonade, juice the lemons and freeze the juice in cubes, once they're frozen then bag them... it's an easy way to make a quick glass of lemonade, add some lemon juice to a recipe, perfect way to use them up)
* grated lemon peel (best frozen IN lemon juice and used in recipes calling for either/or)
* preserved lemons (I see there's a link above to a recipe, one of my favorite uses is finely minced lemon peel in tuna salad, line caught canned tuna in oil - typically the Italian types - with a vinaigrette, black oil-cured olives, and fresh oregano)
* lemon curd
* lemon poundcake (Ina Garten's recipe for lemon picnic bread or cake is very reliable and the recipe's posted liberally on the web)
* limoncello
* candied lemon peel
* lemon bars (try Fine Cooking's site for a great recipe)
* scenting lotion (take plain, rich, unscented lotion and add a bit of lemon juice)
* lemonade - if you want very tart, which I like best, make lemon juice water, then make a simple syrup (equal parts sugar & water boiled, but watched carefully, just until the sugar dissolves), let everyone sweeten their own lemon juice water to taste... stir in a spoonful of jam to flavor it, strawberry or raspberry are great, honey is another great addition
And to keep whole lemons longer, just until you can juice & zest them, completely submerge in water in a large bowl... keep in your fridge... change the water daily (don't waste the water, use that water to water your plants). This helps keep the whole lemons fresh and juicy for up to 3 weeks. I send my cousin boxes of Meyer lemons, in the middle of Winter, and in a very snowy climate he's able to keep fresh lemon on hand for several weeks.
in addition to all of the lovely suggestions above:
marmalade
Lemon Yogurt Blueberry Cake:
http://smittenkitchen.com/2008/04/lemon-yogurt-anything-cake/#more-483
Amazing! It's based on Barefoot Contessa's Lemon Cake with blueberry sauce.
Strawberry Lemonade!
definitely try making limoncello! or a cream limoncello!
I made a clementine cake with half clementines, half Meyer lemons. I'll bet you could do it just using Meyer lemons, just taste a few times to make sure it's the right sweetness.
I think a whole lemon tart would also be of interest.
Both ideas use entire lemons, rind and all!