What do I do with exactly one Meyer lemon?
January 12, 2011 12:43 PM Subscribe
I have exactly one Meyer lemon that's just starting to get ready to eat. What should I do with it?
I'm the kind of person who will slice a lemon, salt the slices, and eat it all at one sitting (nom). Should I do that with this lemon, too?
Best answer: That's odd, but whatever. The flavour profile of a Meyer is less sour than a "regular" lemon and has some hints of mandarin/sweetness. So you may not need as much salt to counteract the sourness.
I find that the lack of sourness makes it hard to use meyer lemons. They're really more orange-like in how you use them in cooking but aren't sweet enough to eat raw (for normal people). I typically make marmalade with them, but obviously that won't work with just one.
So, by all means, slice it and eat it. Just try the first slice without any salt to gauge the sourness.
posted by GuyZero at 12:47 PM on January 12, 2011 [2 favorites]
I find that the lack of sourness makes it hard to use meyer lemons. They're really more orange-like in how you use them in cooking but aren't sweet enough to eat raw (for normal people). I typically make marmalade with them, but obviously that won't work with just one.
So, by all means, slice it and eat it. Just try the first slice without any salt to gauge the sourness.
posted by GuyZero at 12:47 PM on January 12, 2011 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Or, you could slice, drizzle with balsamic vinegar, sprinkle a touch of sugar, salt and a twist of ground pepper. Try that with clementines too!
posted by thinkpiece at 12:49 PM on January 12, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by thinkpiece at 12:49 PM on January 12, 2011 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Zest some into a cup of espresso and add a little Sambuca. Heaven.
posted by The White Hat at 12:49 PM on January 12, 2011
posted by The White Hat at 12:49 PM on January 12, 2011
Best answer: Oh yeah, if you're going to eat the flesh, zest the whole thing first and dry it or use it in whatever. But the zest is fantastic.
posted by GuyZero at 12:51 PM on January 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by GuyZero at 12:51 PM on January 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
Best answer: I like to stuff a trout with sliced Meyer lemons then steam it in parchment in the oven.
Or the juice in a gin daisy.
exactly one [..] just starting to get ready to eat
Do you have a tree?
posted by Prince_of_Cups at 1:05 PM on January 12, 2011
Or the juice in a gin daisy.
exactly one [..] just starting to get ready to eat
Do you have a tree?
posted by Prince_of_Cups at 1:05 PM on January 12, 2011
Best answer: Is it cold or hot where you are?
If cold:
45 mL (1-1/2 oz) whiskey
30 mL (1 oz) Meyer lemon juice (~1 lemon)
10 mL (2 tsp) simple syrup (1:1 sugar:water)
The Meyer lemon whiskey sour needs a little less sugar than a regular one, but this is a great version of a classic. The Meyer adds a whole lot of flavour.
If hot:
45 mL (1-1/2 oz) whiskey
2-3 slices of Meyer lemon (no pips)
5 to10mL (1 to 2 tsp) sugar
Cover with boiling water.
Makes a great toddy too.
posted by bonehead at 1:05 PM on January 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
If cold:
45 mL (1-1/2 oz) whiskey
30 mL (1 oz) Meyer lemon juice (~1 lemon)
10 mL (2 tsp) simple syrup (1:1 sugar:water)
The Meyer lemon whiskey sour needs a little less sugar than a regular one, but this is a great version of a classic. The Meyer adds a whole lot of flavour.
If hot:
45 mL (1-1/2 oz) whiskey
2-3 slices of Meyer lemon (no pips)
5 to10mL (1 to 2 tsp) sugar
Cover with boiling water.
Makes a great toddy too.
posted by bonehead at 1:05 PM on January 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
I typically make marmalade with them, but obviously that won't work with just one.
Of course it will. You'll just need to scale your recipe way down (marmalade scales really well and is very easy to eyeball without much of a recipe). You might get half a jar, or one really tiny jar.
You could also combine with another citrus fruit to make Meyer Lemon And Satstuma marmalade or the like. I find that three or four orange-sized citrus fruits will make enough marmalade to share with friends.
posted by Sara C. at 1:10 PM on January 12, 2011
Of course it will. You'll just need to scale your recipe way down (marmalade scales really well and is very easy to eyeball without much of a recipe). You might get half a jar, or one really tiny jar.
You could also combine with another citrus fruit to make Meyer Lemon And Satstuma marmalade or the like. I find that three or four orange-sized citrus fruits will make enough marmalade to share with friends.
posted by Sara C. at 1:10 PM on January 12, 2011
Best answer: And if you plan to eat the flesh, you should zest it and make Meyer Lemon pancakes, too.
posted by Sara C. at 1:11 PM on January 12, 2011
posted by Sara C. at 1:11 PM on January 12, 2011
You can make half a "Ohio" or "Shaker" lemon pie (not the same thing as lemon meringue).
Normal fruit pie crust. To make filling, slice two lemons into paper-thin rounds, mix with 2 cup of sugar and let stand overnight, stirring a few times. When ready to bake, beat 4 eggs and mix with the sugary lemonglop to create the pie filling.
Usual fruit-pie drill (450F for a while, then 375F until done).
Made a couple of these over the holidays... the normal-lemon one was pretty good, but the Meyer-lemon one was T R A N S C E N D A N T.
posted by Rat Spatula at 1:12 PM on January 12, 2011 [6 favorites]
Normal fruit pie crust. To make filling, slice two lemons into paper-thin rounds, mix with 2 cup of sugar and let stand overnight, stirring a few times. When ready to bake, beat 4 eggs and mix with the sugary lemonglop to create the pie filling.
Usual fruit-pie drill (450F for a while, then 375F until done).
Made a couple of these over the holidays... the normal-lemon one was pretty good, but the Meyer-lemon one was T R A N S C E N D A N T.
posted by Rat Spatula at 1:12 PM on January 12, 2011 [6 favorites]
marmalade scales really well and is very easy to eyeball without much of a recipe
Hm, well I have to say that I've made marmalade many times and I eyeballed with sans thermometer for the first time recently. I now have 4 jars of hard meyer lemon candy. I would use a thermometer.
posted by GuyZero at 1:13 PM on January 12, 2011 [2 favorites]
Hm, well I have to say that I've made marmalade many times and I eyeballed with sans thermometer for the first time recently. I now have 4 jars of hard meyer lemon candy. I would use a thermometer.
posted by GuyZero at 1:13 PM on January 12, 2011 [2 favorites]
With small volumes, you have lower margins of error on overhearting. It's not impossible to do, but it's very easy to ballistically overcook with small amounts. If you do this, I'd have icewater standing by to stop the cooking process. We've made smaller batches of marmalade that turned to candy in the jar too.
posted by bonehead at 1:19 PM on January 12, 2011
posted by bonehead at 1:19 PM on January 12, 2011
Response by poster: Prince_of_Cups: I have a little bitty tree that sat outside in the Texas sunshine all summer and never blossomed - it just grew the one lemon that was on it when I bought it. As soon as I brought it inside for the winter, I got six new blossoms and all the leaves fell off. Plants are weird.
posted by Addlepated at 1:20 PM on January 12, 2011
posted by Addlepated at 1:20 PM on January 12, 2011
Best answer: I would save the zest for something else, but eat the flesh in a salad with fresh fennel, parmesan shavings, and cracked black pepper.
posted by padraigin at 1:23 PM on January 12, 2011
posted by padraigin at 1:23 PM on January 12, 2011
Best answer: All you have to do is cook until the lemon/sugar/water solution reduces to your desired consistency. I've never had the hard-candy problem, and I've never used a thermometer.
Then again, I also don't formally jar the resulting marmalade - I throw it in the smallest available tupperware, store in the fridge, and use within a couple weeks. Mine is also a fairly rustic marmalade; I don't remove (much of) the pith and don't strive for a Smucker's Jelly consistency.
I started with this recipe last year, though I feel like it gets less formal every time I do it.
posted by Sara C. at 1:23 PM on January 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
Then again, I also don't formally jar the resulting marmalade - I throw it in the smallest available tupperware, store in the fridge, and use within a couple weeks. Mine is also a fairly rustic marmalade; I don't remove (much of) the pith and don't strive for a Smucker's Jelly consistency.
I started with this recipe last year, though I feel like it gets less formal every time I do it.
posted by Sara C. at 1:23 PM on January 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Slice it super thin and deep fry it. So very good.
posted by advicepig at 1:25 PM on January 12, 2011
posted by advicepig at 1:25 PM on January 12, 2011
I also don't formally jar the resulting marmalade - I throw it in the smallest available tupperware, store in the fridge
That's why you haven't had a problem. You're killing the heat early and stopping the sugars before they caremelize. It's a good way to do it.
However, canning and heat processing the jars gives one less room for error.
posted by bonehead at 1:31 PM on January 12, 2011
That's why you haven't had a problem. You're killing the heat early and stopping the sugars before they caremelize. It's a good way to do it.
However, canning and heat processing the jars gives one less room for error.
posted by bonehead at 1:31 PM on January 12, 2011
Best answer: Sautee slices in butter and serve with some sort of protein in a garlic cream sauce.
posted by mandymanwasregistered at 1:34 PM on January 12, 2011
posted by mandymanwasregistered at 1:34 PM on January 12, 2011
Best answer: Plants are weird, but I found that with my dwarf Meyer lemon tree, it took a few years before I started getting fruit consistently. Citrus trees are kind of a long-term investment.
And yes, zest it, and either freeze the zest or use it in something immediately. Then eat it, or juice it and use it in a cocktail.
posted by booknerd at 1:35 PM on January 12, 2011
And yes, zest it, and either freeze the zest or use it in something immediately. Then eat it, or juice it and use it in a cocktail.
posted by booknerd at 1:35 PM on January 12, 2011
Best answer: I got six new blossoms and all the leaves fell off.
With young citrus trees you need to pull all the fruit off for at least the first two years, three or four if it takes longer to get established. Otherwise it puts all it's energy into making fruit instead of making leaves and getting stronger, and it'll die (I've seen this happen a lot, it's a common mistake). I agree that it's a long term investment and know how hard it is to be patient, but if you want more of these lemons (which you do, they're awesome!) you need to remove those blossoms now and let the tree focus on turning into a tree for a couple of years.
When I only have a small fruit harvest I feel like I should make something from it, stretch it out. But in the end nothing is as good as just eating that first sweet, fresh fruit. So now I eat the small batches and save marmalade etc for when I have some left over after scratching that fresh fruit itch, because you'll never buy a lemon as nice as the one straight off your tree.
posted by shelleycat at 1:52 PM on January 12, 2011 [2 favorites]
With young citrus trees you need to pull all the fruit off for at least the first two years, three or four if it takes longer to get established. Otherwise it puts all it's energy into making fruit instead of making leaves and getting stronger, and it'll die (I've seen this happen a lot, it's a common mistake). I agree that it's a long term investment and know how hard it is to be patient, but if you want more of these lemons (which you do, they're awesome!) you need to remove those blossoms now and let the tree focus on turning into a tree for a couple of years.
When I only have a small fruit harvest I feel like I should make something from it, stretch it out. But in the end nothing is as good as just eating that first sweet, fresh fruit. So now I eat the small batches and save marmalade etc for when I have some left over after scratching that fresh fruit itch, because you'll never buy a lemon as nice as the one straight off your tree.
posted by shelleycat at 1:52 PM on January 12, 2011 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: Shellycat - great information, thanks so much. It looks like only one of the blossoms fruited, so I guess I'll (sob) pinch it off. Around the same time the leaves fell off the main tree, it put out some small branches from the soil that are just covered with leaves (and thorns), so it does have some sort of mechanism for doing the whole plant thing, at least.
Although - this tree is about 3' tall. Do you think it would be okay if I just left that one new fruit on? It's going to have to live life as a container plant because we get too many freezes in Austin to plant it in the ground, so that's going to keep its growth stunted anyway, from what I understand.
posted by Addlepated at 2:20 PM on January 12, 2011
Although - this tree is about 3' tall. Do you think it would be okay if I just left that one new fruit on? It's going to have to live life as a container plant because we get too many freezes in Austin to plant it in the ground, so that's going to keep its growth stunted anyway, from what I understand.
posted by Addlepated at 2:20 PM on January 12, 2011
Since your fruit is nearly ripe you might as well keep it, the tree has done it's job already growing that one. Just focus on letting it grow tree stuff rather than fruit stuff for next season (hence removing the new flowers). Also keep it regularly watered at this stage as water is a large part of what's going into the fruit to make it bigger.
I have four citrus trees in containers and they're fine once they're established, although it's hard to wait three years for the fruit!
posted by shelleycat at 2:41 PM on January 12, 2011
I have four citrus trees in containers and they're fine once they're established, although it's hard to wait three years for the fruit!
posted by shelleycat at 2:41 PM on January 12, 2011
Oh, if the fruit you're referring to is a new one for next year not the one you're about to eat then yeah, pull it off. With the leaf loss you've had there's a good chance it won't grow to ripe anyway. Any fruit can compromise the tree when it's this small.
Also I just noticed: branches coming from the soil. Is the tree grafted at all? Like is there a weird bump or thick area near the bottom of the trunk? If it's grafted then that's a different type of tree down the bottom, not the nice Meyer lemon you have at the top, and you *really* do not want vegetative growth from down there. It's a waste of resources at best and the other type of tree can take over. I don't know how common it is to graft citrus but all mine are (although they're also specifically on dwarf root stock) so you definitely need to check. You shouldn't really be getting branches from down there anyway, instead the tree should be strengthening the current branches and adding new ones to increase the size of the crown.
posted by shelleycat at 2:52 PM on January 12, 2011
Also I just noticed: branches coming from the soil. Is the tree grafted at all? Like is there a weird bump or thick area near the bottom of the trunk? If it's grafted then that's a different type of tree down the bottom, not the nice Meyer lemon you have at the top, and you *really* do not want vegetative growth from down there. It's a waste of resources at best and the other type of tree can take over. I don't know how common it is to graft citrus but all mine are (although they're also specifically on dwarf root stock) so you definitely need to check. You shouldn't really be getting branches from down there anyway, instead the tree should be strengthening the current branches and adding new ones to increase the size of the crown.
posted by shelleycat at 2:52 PM on January 12, 2011
You can paypal me $10 and I will send you a USPS Medium sized boxed stuffed with Meyer Lemons because one will never be enough ;-)
posted by silsurf at 4:58 PM on January 12, 2011
posted by silsurf at 4:58 PM on January 12, 2011
Response by poster: Shelleycat - I took some pics so you can see what I'm talking about. The whole tree. Where the new leaves are coming from.
You can sort of see that there's a bend in the main beam, above which there are some new leaves coming out - but there are also those new sprouts coming from the soil itself. I have no idea what's going on and am frankly surprised I haven't managed to kill this poor plant yet. Thanks so much for your help.
posted by Addlepated at 6:58 PM on January 12, 2011
You can sort of see that there's a bend in the main beam, above which there are some new leaves coming out - but there are also those new sprouts coming from the soil itself. I have no idea what's going on and am frankly surprised I haven't managed to kill this poor plant yet. Thanks so much for your help.
posted by Addlepated at 6:58 PM on January 12, 2011
Best answer: Yeah, I'm pretty sure the bend is a graft based on how mine look. It's kind of cool actually, they splice together the top of one tree onto the bottom of the other and it kind of all grows together so that one species provides all the roots and the other all the leaves and fruit and stuff.
The branches above it are all good and what you should see, the ones below need to be removed asap. Even though it's not exactly the graft point if you make it a rule of thumb to remove outgrowths below that lower purple band then you'll be good. Even if it turned out not to be grafted (although I'm pretty certain it is), removing those lower branches will allow the top to strengthen and grow better, which is what you want.
posted by shelleycat at 7:21 PM on January 12, 2011
The branches above it are all good and what you should see, the ones below need to be removed asap. Even though it's not exactly the graft point if you make it a rule of thumb to remove outgrowths below that lower purple band then you'll be good. Even if it turned out not to be grafted (although I'm pretty certain it is), removing those lower branches will allow the top to strengthen and grow better, which is what you want.
posted by shelleycat at 7:21 PM on January 12, 2011
My Meyer lemon tree is about 4 or 5 years old, and I consistently get one lemon a year (if the squirrels don't get 'em first). This year, it seems to be wintering indoors better than usual, and is currently full of blossoms. They smell divine. Good luck with yours!
posted by statolith at 12:58 PM on January 13, 2011
posted by statolith at 12:58 PM on January 13, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by leigh1 at 12:47 PM on January 12, 2011