The Joy of Meyer Lemons

This past weekend, I finally remembered to stop by a CSA-type market in New Orleans called Hollygrove Market & Farm.  I have been meaning to check out this place for several weeks because I really prefer to support local farms and buy local produce. Every Saturday, Hollygrove market sells a pre-selected box of fresh produce supplied by several local farms and for a mere $25.  What a deal!  I bought the box and was overwhelmed by the selection of winter produce: baby white turnips, fresh mushrooms, cauliflower, cabbage, jasmine rice, green onions, cilantro, tomatoes, navel and small oranges, and grapefruits.

The market also had some other items for separate sale...including Meyer lemons!  Ever since I heard how easily these lemons grow in Louisiana, I have been craving them.   Big and bright yellow with a sweet scent, Meyer lemons are a less sour variety of lemon.  Some people believe they are a cross between an orange and lemon; this may be because they smell like a sour orange.  I couldn't wait to get home and try out some new recipes, including sorbet!

I wanted to do something a little different than a plain old lemon sorbet, so I decided to make Meyer Lemon Honey sorbet.  By replacing some of the sugar with honey it provided the sorbet with a different taste.  I found out the hard way, however, that it is important to use a mild honey, such as clover honey, in this recipe.  I used wildflower honey on the first batch and the taste was overwhelming!  It tasted like those lemon-honey cough drops you buy to sooth a sore throat...bleh.  So, please use mild honey.  Otherwise, the recipe turned out great and was a good consistency.

After making the sorbet I had some leftover juice and zest, so I also made some Meyer Lemon and Cranberry scones by the White on Rice Couple (check out their website - the pictures are gorgeous!).  The scones were super easy to make, and the sweet lemons and tart cranberries were a perfect pairing.  My husband loved them and they made a great breakfast treat.

Try out these recipes and let me know what you think.  You could substitute "regular" lemons for Meyer lemons, but you may need to add a bit more sugar (at least to the sorbet). 

I have already decided that next year I am going to plant my own Meyer lemon tree:) 

Meyer Lemon Honey Sorbet

2 cups water
3/4 cup (150 grams) sugar
1/2 cup mild honey
2 Meyer lemons, unsprayed
1 cup freshly squeezed Meyer lemon juice (250 ml; about 3 medium lemons)
1 Tablespoon vodka

In a medium saucepan, mix 1/2 cup water, sugar, honey, and lemon zest.  Heat, stirring frequently, until the sugar and honey are completely dissolved.  Remove pan from heat, add remaining 1 1/2 cups water, transfer to a bowl and refrigerate to chill thoroughly.

Once sugar mixture is chilled, stir in lemon juice and vodka.  Pour into an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions.  Freeze until firm, at least 4 hours.

Meyer Lemon Cranberry Scones Recipe
Recipe from White on Rice Couple

Makes about 20 2 1/2″ scones – if you don’t have Meyer lemons, it is still tasty with Eureka or other lemons

Scone ingredients

Finely grated Zest from 2 Meyer Lemons
2 1/2 cup (370g) All-purpose Flour
1/2 cup (100g) Sugar
1 Tablespoon (15g) Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon (3g) Sea Salt
6 Tablespoons (90g) unsalted Butter, cold
1 1/4 cup Dried Cranberries (WhiteonRiceCouple used dried orange-cranberries)
1 large Egg
1 large Egg Yolk
1 up (240 ml) Heavy Cream (if your cream is extra thick you may need a touch more)

Lemon glaze

Juice from 2 Meyer Lemons (~ 1/4 cup, if they are big lemons like mine it may only take one)
1/4 cup Sugar

Preheat oven to 375° F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

1. Combine zest, flour, sugar (100g) baking powder, and sea salt in a bowl.

2. Cut butter into pea sized chunks.  Add to dry ingredients and pinch the butter with the dry ingredients until everything is combined into a crumbly mixture. To mix the last of the flour, place the dough on work surface, and the the palm of your hand, push small egg sized chunks down and away from you (see picture above recipe).  Do this just until flour is incorporated. Add the dried cranberries.

3. Beat the egg and egg yolk in a small bowl.  Add cream and mix to combine.

4. Add cream mix to flour mix just until it all comes together.  Dough should still be fairly rough.

5. Roughly form dough into 2 1/2″ x 1″ discs. Place on the sheet pan and bake in the middle of the oven for about 20 minutes or until pale golden.

6. While scones bake, make lemon glaze.  Combine lemon juice and 1/4 c of sugar in a small sauce pan.  Heat until sugar is dissolved.  Set aside to cool.

7. After scones are done baking, remove from oven and brush with lemon glaze.

Comments

[Leslie]

Looks and sounds amazing, as usual! Those scones...man.

I thought of you when I scooped out some ice cream last night...with my yellow plastic scoop I found in one of my desk drawers (promo item) a few years back. I have to use my finger to stab the ice cream out of the scoop. So fancy!