Photo credit: Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times
Who says winter has to be dreary? It’s just not possible when Meyer lemons are in season.
We Californians are truly blessed with this citrus hybrid of a lemon and Mandarin orange. Its warm color reminds me of mango flesh; its flavor tastes of lemongrass, orange blossom and yellow lemon.
To me, Meyer lemons are extra special because they are rare. Unlike most produce, which can be shipped from anywhere in the world (blueberries in January from New Zealand, anyone?), Meyers don’t travel far from their branches. Their delicate skin makes them highly perishable, making shipping improbable.
These lemons are so rare, in fact, that I give them as gifts to my East Coast friends and family when I visit each December. It hearkens back to the days when stockings were filled with oranges instead of Hershey bars.
Meyers are a delight to cook with because of their floral and delicately spicy flavor. However, if you’re looking for the same acidic “zing” of a standard yellow lemon, you will need to do a little adjusting. Here are a few tips:
Eat the whole fruit.
Since Meyer lemon skins are tender and much less bitter than standard yellow lemons, they are delicious eaten in their entirety, especially roasted. I like to roast chicken along with garlic, ¼-inch-thick Meyer lemon slices, olive oil and green olives. The colors are lovely and the flavors intense.
Supplement with juice from yellow lemons.
I often find that lemon curds made entirely from Meyer lemon juice are a bit too mild for my taste, so I substitute half the Meyer lemon juice with juice from yellow lemons, then bring out the Meyer lemon flavor with lots of zest.
For example, if a recipe calls for 1 cup lemon juice and 1 tablespoon zest, I would use ½ cup Meyer lemon juice, ½ cup yellow lemon juice and 1 ½ tablespoons Meyer lemon zest.
Boost acidity with white wine vinegar.
When making a Meyer lemon vinaigrette, add a tablespoon or more white wine vinegar to boost the acidity. The Meyer lemons alone won’t be enough to hold their flavor with olive oil. And, as always, don’t forget the zest!
I love meyer lemons but if you were looking out my window today you would definitely say winter is dreary, lemons or no.
I bought some last week without knowing what they exactly were. I made a pie with them and it wasn’t quite a zingy as I usually like but was still very good. ( I didn’t have your tips at the time about using a little of the regular lemon juice. ) I did add extra zest which helped. I even used a little of the juice in my tea is nice for a change. I am going to try roasting them with chicken as you suggested. Thanks for the information as I didn’t know anything about the Meyer lemon when I bought them.