Lemons. I haz them.
July 23, 2016 5:55 PM Subscribe
Our lemon tree delivered a pretty decent crop this year and I'd like to do something with them.
I home brew my own beer (23L stainless steel fermenter), so with that in mind, I'd be keen to hear about any recipes that will work well using a fermenter. I know about Skeeter Pee and I have to admit, it doesn't look particularly appealing but maybe I'm wrong. I'm currently brewing a batch of Sima (Finnish hard lemonade). Can you make lemoncello without using vodka? That is, generating the alcoholic content in some other way? Any and all ideas welcome, even if they are not related to drinks.
I home brew my own beer (23L stainless steel fermenter), so with that in mind, I'd be keen to hear about any recipes that will work well using a fermenter. I know about Skeeter Pee and I have to admit, it doesn't look particularly appealing but maybe I'm wrong. I'm currently brewing a batch of Sima (Finnish hard lemonade). Can you make lemoncello without using vodka? That is, generating the alcoholic content in some other way? Any and all ideas welcome, even if they are not related to drinks.
Juice a bunch and freeze the juice into cubes. Great for a G&T or V&T.
My SO makes big batches of lemon butter, which are valued gifts among my family.
posted by pompomtom at 6:13 PM on July 23, 2016 [6 favorites]
My SO makes big batches of lemon butter, which are valued gifts among my family.
posted by pompomtom at 6:13 PM on July 23, 2016 [6 favorites]
We have lemon trees that produce insane amounts of lemons.
Lemon bars, lemon meringue pie, limoncello (sorry, vodka is a pretty important ingredient), lemonade (sometimes with various herbs like lavender, sage, or ginger added -- excellent on its own or for vodka or gin based cocktails), lemon cream sauces for seafood or pasta, lemon pepper everything, lemon water in the fridge, lemon butter, lemon honey butter, lemon sweet cream crepes, lemon-vanilla cupcakes, candied lemon, pickled lemon... I could go on.
Once we've given away all we can to friends, family, and our community garden, we juice them and freeze the juice to be used whenever we need more lemon.
posted by erst at 6:17 PM on July 23, 2016 [5 favorites]
Lemon bars, lemon meringue pie, limoncello (sorry, vodka is a pretty important ingredient), lemonade (sometimes with various herbs like lavender, sage, or ginger added -- excellent on its own or for vodka or gin based cocktails), lemon cream sauces for seafood or pasta, lemon pepper everything, lemon water in the fridge, lemon butter, lemon honey butter, lemon sweet cream crepes, lemon-vanilla cupcakes, candied lemon, pickled lemon... I could go on.
Once we've given away all we can to friends, family, and our community garden, we juice them and freeze the juice to be used whenever we need more lemon.
posted by erst at 6:17 PM on July 23, 2016 [5 favorites]
You should make lots of lemon butter and lemon custard and send it all to me! 🍋
posted by Hermione Granger at 6:20 PM on July 23, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by Hermione Granger at 6:20 PM on July 23, 2016 [2 favorites]
Lemon curd is best made with fresh lemons!
Once you have a bunch of lemon rinds and husks, you can pour a cup of sugar over them, leave it in a fridge, and come back to drain lovely lemon syrup off of them. It's like magic garbage!
posted by blnkfrnk at 6:21 PM on July 23, 2016 [17 favorites]
Once you have a bunch of lemon rinds and husks, you can pour a cup of sugar over them, leave it in a fridge, and come back to drain lovely lemon syrup off of them. It's like magic garbage!
posted by blnkfrnk at 6:21 PM on July 23, 2016 [17 favorites]
In this previous Ask, I learned that zest freezes well, and that I don't actually enjoy limoncello that much.
posted by deludingmyself at 6:23 PM on July 23, 2016
posted by deludingmyself at 6:23 PM on July 23, 2016
Just a tip, if you have a separate freezer or an unusual amount of freezer space: you can just freeze them in gallon bags. You'll be able to get zest off later and they are basically self-juicing when they thaw.
My lemon tree has just petered out for the season and I have like 40 lemons from last year...on the bottom of my chest freezer...under everything else.
posted by Lyn Never at 6:31 PM on July 23, 2016 [1 favorite]
My lemon tree has just petered out for the season and I have like 40 lemons from last year...on the bottom of my chest freezer...under everything else.
posted by Lyn Never at 6:31 PM on July 23, 2016 [1 favorite]
Make lemon granita, add vodka or grappa or ginger liquor or what have you for a kick.
posted by vrakatar at 6:42 PM on July 23, 2016
posted by vrakatar at 6:42 PM on July 23, 2016
If you like limoncello, I don't see why you couldn't make it with gin instead of vodka (gin, after all, is just vodka flavored with juniper and other botanicals). Lemon goes pretty well with gin, as a Tom Collins will attest.
posted by mollweide at 6:55 PM on July 23, 2016
posted by mollweide at 6:55 PM on July 23, 2016
Seconding lemon bars and preserved lemons.
When I had a lemon tree, one of the many things I made with its fruits was lemon chutney. This is specifically nice with samosas and other Indian food with a lot of potatoes.
posted by yarntheory at 7:32 PM on July 23, 2016
When I had a lemon tree, one of the many things I made with its fruits was lemon chutney. This is specifically nice with samosas and other Indian food with a lot of potatoes.
posted by yarntheory at 7:32 PM on July 23, 2016
Bartender friend of ours made rumoncello (subbing overproof rum for the neutral spirits). That stuff was super delicious.
posted by fedward at 7:45 PM on July 23, 2016
posted by fedward at 7:45 PM on July 23, 2016
Make shrub. The cold method is tastier IMO, but you could do a small batch warm to work out the details the way you like. If you use the cold method you can get some free/wild fermentation going, similar to sourdough.
posted by SaltySalticid at 8:42 PM on July 23, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by SaltySalticid at 8:42 PM on July 23, 2016 [3 favorites]
Lemon sugar - zest of lemons in granulated sugar. Good for cooking, baking, lemonade, tea, etc. Keeps well, so you could make a bunch and give away in jars as gifts.
Candied lemon peel is also quite lovely as a treat on its own, garnish on baked goods, or dipped in good chocolate.
--> Side product is lemon syrup, also amazing for gifts, to make lemonade, cocktails and any other lemon requirements.
posted by lizbunny at 8:45 PM on July 23, 2016 [2 favorites]
Candied lemon peel is also quite lovely as a treat on its own, garnish on baked goods, or dipped in good chocolate.
--> Side product is lemon syrup, also amazing for gifts, to make lemonade, cocktails and any other lemon requirements.
posted by lizbunny at 8:45 PM on July 23, 2016 [2 favorites]
Since you already make beer, experiment with making shandy or radler in the bottle.
posted by lizbunny at 8:49 PM on July 23, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by lizbunny at 8:49 PM on July 23, 2016 [1 favorite]
Preserved lemons are great in all the fabulous mixed drinks you'll be making this coming year...with preserved lemons!
posted by Toddles at 9:24 PM on July 23, 2016
posted by Toddles at 9:24 PM on July 23, 2016
Zest the lemons and freeze the zest, then juice them and freeze the juice in ice cube trays. Then decide what to do with all the goodness, at your leisure.
posted by rtha at 9:34 PM on July 23, 2016
posted by rtha at 9:34 PM on July 23, 2016
More of the zest can go into "Chicken Salt" - a blend of kosher salt with as much zest as you can stomach grating. Add a generous amount of thyme leaves, and possibly some black pepper. Shake it all together -- you want to avoid clumps of moist zest - and pop it in jars or zipper bags. It keeps forever and makes nice gifts. And it is super easy to use for lazy weeknight cooking -- seasoning your chicken, eggs, or greens. Or the rims of Bloody Mary glasses.
posted by janell at 9:35 PM on July 23, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by janell at 9:35 PM on July 23, 2016 [3 favorites]
Response by poster: So many great suggestions everyone thanks! :) I like the idea of lemon syrup, especially since we'll have summer in a few months.
posted by New England Cultist at 12:17 AM on July 24, 2016
posted by New England Cultist at 12:17 AM on July 24, 2016
There's a spicy version of preserved lemons that an old friend taught me -- You pack the lemons fully in salt for a week (I cut them into 1/8s) then dump the salt and repack the jar with the lemons plus as many chile peppers as will fit, then pour boiling oil in (I use grapeseed) and let it stand for another couple weeks. The flavor is INTENSE. But very good. I use the oil as well as the lemons. So nice.
Also, Quaker lemon pie -- America's Test Kitchen has an awesome recipe, you slice the lemons with the peel on. If you can't find it, PM me and I'll send it to you.
posted by ananci at 6:50 AM on July 24, 2016 [1 favorite]
Also, Quaker lemon pie -- America's Test Kitchen has an awesome recipe, you slice the lemons with the peel on. If you can't find it, PM me and I'll send it to you.
posted by ananci at 6:50 AM on July 24, 2016 [1 favorite]
Ferment the lemon juice with some of the zest. Make a big batch. Then freeze distill it. Like making "Apple Jack," but using lemons. I have not tried this, but I've wanted to. I imagine it coming out very similar to lemoncello.
posted by yesster at 7:36 AM on July 24, 2016
posted by yesster at 7:36 AM on July 24, 2016
If you have a ton of lemons, it is a crime not to make Ina Garten's lemon cake. It is unearthly.
I recently made this Vermontucky Lemonade, and it was extremely good. Basically lemonade but sweetened with maple syrup instead of sugar, plus bourbon. I drank some of the lemonade even without the bourbon and it was tasty, but as a cocktail the flavors are very complementary.
posted by gatorae at 12:11 PM on July 24, 2016 [1 favorite]
I recently made this Vermontucky Lemonade, and it was extremely good. Basically lemonade but sweetened with maple syrup instead of sugar, plus bourbon. I drank some of the lemonade even without the bourbon and it was tasty, but as a cocktail the flavors are very complementary.
posted by gatorae at 12:11 PM on July 24, 2016 [1 favorite]
I second presserved lemons. They are great in some soups and salads!
posted by WalkerWestridge at 3:18 PM on July 24, 2016
posted by WalkerWestridge at 3:18 PM on July 24, 2016
Martha Stewart's lemon curd recipe. Caution: autoplay video. If you've never had lemon curd, try this; I'm not kidding.
posted by mchorn at 5:58 PM on July 24, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by mchorn at 5:58 PM on July 24, 2016 [1 favorite]
Lizbunny's lemon sugar is a great idea. So is lemon salt.
Then there's Gennaro Contaldo's Limoncello Tiramisu.
Contaldo uses lemons a lot in his recipes. Even on a steak (which I can vouch, turned out amazing).
posted by Eikonaut at 10:50 PM on July 24, 2016
Then there's Gennaro Contaldo's Limoncello Tiramisu.
Contaldo uses lemons a lot in his recipes. Even on a steak (which I can vouch, turned out amazing).
posted by Eikonaut at 10:50 PM on July 24, 2016
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posted by quaking fajita at 6:02 PM on July 23, 2016 [8 favorites]