Seduced by Costco (Meyer Lemons)

[lmcsherr]

Hi all,

While in Costco last week, I was seduced into buying 4 pounds of Meyer Lemons. I've used a few . . . but have something like three pounds left.

What can I make?

help!

[lmcsherr]

As a follow up, I used most of the lemons in a sparkling drink on Xmas day. 1 c lemon juice, 1 c water, 1/3 c sugar, 1/3 c vodka, 1 bottle Prosecco. Mix water and sugar until sugar dissolves. Mix all of the ingredients together and serve immediately. Nice flavor, very summery feeling, and a bit of a kick.

[Shrinkrap]

Does anybody know proportions of sugar to lemon juice to freeze and later make lemonade? My husband likes it fairly sweet, and I want him to be able to just add water. In the past I have frozen the juice in cubes, and given him a bottle of simple syrup, but the simpler the better!

[rosepoint]

Had the same problem last year with my impulse buy of Meyer lemons. The two recipes I made were a lemon and ginger jam and lemon buttermilk sherbet. My DH made lots of lemon simple syrup as another poster suggested.

[Tom P]

Preserved Lemons!!

I discovered preserved lemons from Patricia Wells’ AT HOME IN PROVENCE,
easily one of the best cookbooks ever published. (That book changed my approach to
cooking.) Do start preserving them yourself; it is so easy and after you try it the first time
and start to use them, you will always want to have some preserved lemons in your
fridge.

Here is the recipe (I always double it):

PRESERVED LEMONS

2 lemons, preferably organic
1/3 cup Coarse Sea Salt
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
About 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Scrub the lemons and dry them well. Cut each lemon lengthwise into 8 wedges. In a
bowl, toss the lemon wedges, salt and lemon juice to coat the fruit. Transfer to a 2-cup
glass container with a non-metal lid. Close the container tightly and let the lemons ripen
at room temperature for 7 days. She the container daily to evenly distribute the salt and
juices. To store, add olive oil to cover and keep in the refrigerator for up to 6 months.

-

I use the juices that form in salad dressings, marinades, etc. My favorite way to roast a
chicken, now, is to rub the insides and outside of a chicken with the juices, along with
garlic, herbs and salt, and put a few of the lemons inside the cavity. Yum. You can use
the juices to spread on fish or chicken before grilling, even a steak. And I love to chop up
the lemons themselves and add them to couscous or salads made of grains and
vegetables. There are so many uses for them. Do give it a try!

[drongo]

How are preserved lemons made with Meyer lemons (cross between lemon and some kind of orange) rather than lemons? Meyer lemons have thinner skins and are sweeter than lemons,

[scubadoo97]

Same. Certainly enough acid to preserve. They might be sweeter but they are still sour

[BananaBirkLarsen]

I was gifted a jar of preserved meyer lemons a couple months ago and they were great! I wouldn't say sweeter, exactly, but they had that richer, slightly orangey, meyer lemon taste.

[JoanN]

As scubadoo97 says, the recipe is the same no matter what kind of lemon you use. The lemon you choose to preserve depends on how you intend to use it and on personal preference. I really like the floral note in preserved Meyers. But there are those who use preserved Meyers mostly in salads and prefer a lemon with a thicker rind, which holds up better, for use in long-simmering stews.

[lmcsherr]

Y'all are fantastic -- looking at recipes now. In the meantime, made Lemon Polenta Cake (but I added a triple berry sauce instead of the recommended compote) -- recipe at: http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/lemon...

[Briek]

This is absolutely my new favorite cocktail! Sparkling Meyer Lemon Cocktail from Cooking Light magazine. So, so good! I can't wait to make it again...

http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/spark...

[drongo]

Limoncello. If you can buy Everclear in your state.

http://threeshortcooks.blogspot.com/2...

[sweethooch]

Using vodka for limoncello also works well -- the site linked above says 80 proof gets too diluted, but the flavor is still wonderful and a low-proof liqueur is fine with me. Make flavored limoncello by adding any of the following to the alcohol-peel mixture: a few sprigs of rosemary, one or two vanilla beans (split them and scrape them, but add the bean as well), or some diced fresh ginger.

[sweethooch]

This budino recipe is easy and wonderful (though it only uses a few) -- it's kind of a cross between pudding and souffle. Just use all meyer lemon juice, despite the instruction for some to be regular lemon. http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/foo...

Sidecars are my favorite drink -- 2 parts brandy, 1 or more parts triple sec (more if you like sweeter drinks), 1 part lemon juice, plus a little simple syrup if you like your drinks even more sweet. Shake with a lot of ice and strain.

And as mentioned before, lemon juice cubes are always nice to have in the freezer.

[nomadchowwoman]

Worst case scenario: juice them and freeze (in ice cube trays for nice neat portions). I made lemon curd recently w/year-old frozen juice, and it came out beautifully.

[escondido123]

In the frig, they will last for weeks so no hurry. Use the juice in salads and vegs, the rind in almost anything else. My Myer lemon tree had a setback so we only have a dozen vs 5 dozen most years so I am envious...will have to check at Costco.

[Shrinkrap]

Look at the related posts at the bottom. Every year this time there are a bunch of threads about what to do with Meyers .

[ipsedixit]

Ice cream.

[jsaimd]

I like meyer lemonade, or meyer lemon sorbet - both use quite a bit of juice. Lemon ice cream. You can juice them and freeze the juice in cubes to pop into things later. I have preserved them. I love them in Alice Medrichs lemon bars because her recipe is so lemony. Also love it in Pierre Herme's lemon cream tart. That is sinfully wonderful.

[zamorski]

Meyer lemon marmalade is delicious and always a welcome gift. It is good plain (sugar, lemons, water), with a vanilla bean, with pear, with pear and vanilla, with pear and a bit of cardamom...your get the picture.

In my hands, five lemons make about five or six 8-oz jars.

[scubadoo97]

Preserved lemons are great flavor boosters

[Caitlin McGrath]

If you might like to have (or give as gifts) a syrup for making homemade soda or flavoring drinks, this recipe has a long shelf-life and is wonderful made with Meyer lemons: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/8235...

[JoanN]

Lemon curd freezes beautifully and has innumerable uses. You can make a tart, use it as the filling for a cake, mix it with a dollop of whipped cream and serve it with berries . . . .