351151 Thu Dec 14 02:00:21 -0800 2006 29 31 Home Cooking 0 2098226 The elusive Meyer Lemon surafaced in Bloomington, IN. day before yesterday. You west coast folks don't know how rare this is or costly. 4 of them and they are not as large as some I have had set me back $4.19 for just about a little over a pound. So I'm thinking Meyer Lemon curd. Any better ideas? Thu Dec 14 02:00:21 -0800 2006 10285 Candy 1 2098254 Meyer lemon risotto is very nice. Thu Dec 14 02:07:20 -0800 2006 2098226 11995 pikawicca 1 2098273 They are sweeter than the Eureka lemon, so you might want to adjust your curd recipe. The Herme/Greenspan curd is quite good with them. Thu Dec 14 02:13:48 -0800 2006 2098226 10133 wally 1 2098283 Due to today's Great Meringue Catastrophe, I will also be making meyer lemon curd. Any excuse for lemon curd is welcome. Thu Dec 14 02:16:28 -0800 2006 2098226 12213 jillp 2 2098337 Oh dear, I too in years past have suffered Meringue catastrophes. So great, in fact, that I haven't attempted a lemon meringue pie since I was 20 years old. I will not go there. What is your sad story? Thu Dec 14 02:42:02 -0800 2006 2098283 11995 pikawicca 3 2099085 Ah, the tragedy! My meringue whisked up glossy and absolutely beautiful - until I added the ground almonds, at which point they went flat. They were delicious, but still flat. So I cracked more eggs and let the whites reach room temperature and started over, and this time I simply added part of the original batch to the new batch and it was picture perfect. I carefully spooned the meringues onto the the parchment-lined cookie sheet and set them in a 200 degree oven, where they baked happily for 90 minutes - before going flat. We were forced to eat them ourselves, since they were not suitable for public view. Still good, just ugly. Thu Dec 14 14:50:19 -0800 2006 2098337 12213 jillp 4 2099654 Are you using any cream of tarter to help stabilize the meringue? Not too much or it will effect the flavor, just add a little once your whites are foamy. Also, whip the hell out of your whites once your sugar is in, can't really over do it. The oil from the almonds must have made your first batch lose it's shape, try grinding them a hair less. Hope you have better luck next time! Thu Dec 14 17:32:28 -0800 2006 2099085 11225 rabaja 5 2100256 It is possible to overbeat egg whites, I have seen some do it--sad but true. Thu Dec 14 20:15:17 -0800 2006 2099654 59597 foodie_girl 6 2102587 Of course one can easily over beat egg whites. When making a proper meringue, however, with the addition of sugar, you can really beat it fiercely and bring it to a stiff peak without fear of over beating much. Fri Dec 15 16:17:35 -0800 2006 2100256 11225 rabaja 4 2100178 The ground almonds weighed down the meringue, that's why they were so flat. You also have to be quick, yet gentle in the folding process when adding items to whipped egg whites. One more thing, if you do add ground almonds, make sure it is finely ground (almost like flour-use almond flour) Thu Dec 14 19:52:39 -0800 2006 2099085 59597 foodie_girl 3 2103667 I, strangely, had the inverse problem with a lemon meringue pie. It was one of my first cooking or baking attempts, I must have been about 14. The meringue was beautiful but it was floating on a sea of liquid lemon filling! Never firmed up. Oops! Fri Dec 15 21:21:36 -0800 2006 2098337 14798 mellycooks 4 2104063 I had that happen, too. I kept adding more cornstarch and the darned mess never did thicken! I have to wonder if it was really cornstarch in the box (I was baking at my boyfriend's house). Fri Dec 15 23:23:01 -0800 2006 2103667 11995 pikawicca 4 2104250 Yep, I did that too on a long-ago Easter. It was proclaimed to be lemon soup and remembered fondly by my friends, but I haven't tried to make one since. Sat Dec 16 00:33:24 -0800 2006 2103667 10380 kittyfood 4 2104969 JUNIOR'S makes their always perfect Lemon Meringue Pie but placing a thin layer of genoise or sponge cake on top of the lemon filling after the filling sets, and put your meringue over that, making a complete seal. It really works. Perfect pie that never seeps or leaks. Sat Dec 16 09:43:07 -0800 2006 2103667 10838 Fleur 1 2098284 Also, I think that the Shaker Lemon Pie recipe must have been concocted with this lemon in mind. Thu Dec 14 02:16:32 -0800 2006 2098226 11995 pikawicca 2 2098535 Shaker Lemon pie is so great, but some people from Ohio have never seen/heard of this. With meyers.....sigh. Too bad I'm no longer with the BF who had a tree. Thu Dec 14 04:29:30 -0800 2006 2098284 13445 Louise 3 2099267 I really want to try Shaker lemon pie, but the double-crust aspect (as least in the JOC recipe) just weirds me out for some reason. What texture does the filling have - is it like a fruit pie with chunks of lemon? If I get my hands on some Meyers this year I will try these single crust Shaker lemon bars from an old post: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/322435 I also want to try this cake that involves soaking the lemon rind/peel for a day before baking: http://www.lindystoast.com/2005/12/meyer_lemon_pou.html Thu Dec 14 15:48:46 -0800 2006 2098535 12120 julesrules 4 2099383 The slices should be very thin, and the macerating overnight softens them. If you can get them the thinness of a quarter, that's best. They don't have to be paper thin, it's best if they aren't. The best way I can describe the texture is as a cross of the smoothness of lemon curd and the chunkiness of marmalade. Thu Dec 14 16:19:09 -0800 2006 2099267 13445 Louise 5 2103683 I just made a meyer lemon shaker pie last weekend, and found that the lemons were still a bit hard to bite through, even when thinly sliced. Next time I would go with the suggested method in an epicurious.com recipe for this pie, where the lemons are blanched before slicing. The flavor after the pie had been in the fridge for a day was fantastic. The first day before putting it in the fridge, the filling was a bit runny. Overall though, it was a great way to use the meyers. Fri Dec 15 21:26:47 -0800 2006 2099383 39747 ExercisetoEat 6 2103923 One of my co-workers has a tree and it's on the list after the holidays are past. I'd really love to make that "rind & all" clementine cake with meyer lemons. Fri Dec 15 22:31:54 -0800 2006 2103683 13445 Louise 6 2105495 Thanks to both of you for the suggestions & descriptions. I think I will try this out in the new year, maybe as a tart version of the single-crust squares to start. I am hoping for a repeat of the magical hour last spring when meyers were 10 for a dollar at my local cheapie fruit place, but realistically I will probably have to drag myself to Whole Foods. Sat Dec 16 18:16:15 -0800 2006 2103683 12120 julesrules 1 2098373 I used meyer lemons in Cook's Illustrated lemon bars and it was so good. It's also great in drinks--plain lemonade or a lemon drop. Thu Dec 14 02:57:41 -0800 2006 2098226 39874 chowser 1 2098629 Preserved lemons. Thu Dec 14 05:24:47 -0800 2006 2098226 39504 Shrinkrap 2 2098642 Wow, that's exactly what I was thinking. You can keep that great lemon flavor for some time. If you do intend to make something that only concerns the juice or flesh, I would recommend zesting them and saving the zest in the freezer to freshen up anything you want to add a little zing to. Thu Dec 14 05:34:03 -0800 2006 2098629 10642 bryan 1 2098699 Take whatever's left of them and infuse a fifth of good vodka for a couple weeks. We have a meyer lemon tree out back and get a couple hundred fruits off of it every year - this is a favorite preparation (for obvious reasons). Thu Dec 14 06:14:56 -0800 2006 2098226 43540 orezscu 1 2099370 I second the vodka infusion idea but with a variation: zest the lemons carefully (avoiding the white pith) and infuse the zest; then you'll still have the lemon juice to make curd, sorbet, or whatever. Thu Dec 14 16:16:13 -0800 2006 2098226 17327 rootlesscosmo 2 2099496 I made lemon marmalade a few days ago. The Meyers would be gorgeous for that. I added Aleppo pepper flakes which added a nice color hit and a little kick. Thu Dec 14 16:53:29 -0800 2006 2099370 17282 missclaudy 3 2100283 I'll second the marmalade idea, made some off the tree in the back yard last year, it was a big hit and keeps a long time. Thu Dec 14 20:25:12 -0800 2006 2099496 10784 Scrapironchef 1 2099972 Right now I've got a bagful of Meyers from my mom's neighbor, but when I don't, I squirt a bit of oj into the Eureka juice, and it's a really good substitute. Thu Dec 14 18:57:37 -0800 2006 2098226 17220 Claudette 1 2100131 I feel lucky living in the San Francisco Bay Area and getting Meyer lemons. I almost exclusively used them when they're in season, which is right now. Anyway, I made this lemon custard dessert I saw at Martha Stewart's Web site substituting her recipe with Meyer lemons (and adding vanilla, which she didn't). It was really simple to make and so tasty: http://singleguychef.blogspot.com/2006/11/meyer-lemon-custard-cakes.html Thu Dec 14 19:37:18 -0800 2006 2098226 43882 singleguychef