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Meyer Lemons Are Hard To Find, Worth The Effort

Photo by LYNN KESSEL

Fresh Meyer lemon juice is used to make these luscious Lemon Curd Bars. Less acidic than traditional lemons, Meyers have a tang that's surprisingly softened by a beguiling sweetness.

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 3, 2008

For every ingredient, there is a season. And seasonal produce stands are brimming right now with yuletide possibilities.

But what I have a lot of in my kitchen these days isn't cranberries, oranges, chestnuts or figs. I have lemons - and not just any lemons. They're Meyer lemons.

I discovered these treasures last week at My Mother's Garden in Wimauma. They were available at the farm's online market.

Sometimes called a "lemonange," a Meyer lemon is believed to be a cross between a lemon and a mandarin orange. Realizing I had never actually tasted a Meyer lemon, much less worked with one, I seized the opportunity.

These fruits were spectacularly juicy. And I'll tell you, my first round of testing these gems yielded excellent results. It took only three of these plump angels to produce a little over a cup of juice for this week's Lemon Curd Bar recipe.

The juice of the Meyer lemon is less acidic than that of traditional lemons. The anticipated tang was surprisingly softened by a beguiling sweetness. Mouth-puckering lemons be darned: I was hooked.

"They have extraordinary flavor," said Susan Bishop, speaking about the fruit of two prolific trees at My Mother's Garden. She will be harvesting Meyer lemons from those trees for the next six to eight weeks. They can be ordered at www.mymothersgarden.local lygrown.net/market.

These lemons aren't always easy to find, though. I know. I looked. I tracked down a few hit-and-miss possibilities by stopping at several roadside produce stands between Ruskin and Brandon. Although I found no Meyer lemons that day, I was told that, occasionally, local residents will drop off sacks of Meyers from their own trees.

Arnold Mendez, the produce manager of the Sweetbay Supermarket in Apollo Beach, told me their current supply of Meyers come from California and will be available through May. Publix spokesperson Shannon Patten told me that most Publix stores will start receiving them from California the second or third week of December.

If you do scope some out, Meyer lemons are completely edible from peel to pulp and are perfect for cooking and baking, with their subtly complex hints of lemon, lime and mandarin. Use the juice in marinades, sauces, cakes and frostings. Freeze the juice in ice cube trays and then put them into a baggie until you figure out what you want to do with them.

When you can't get the real thing, I read that a mixture of two parts lemon juice and one part tangerine juice comes close to the flavor of a Meyer.

Meyers are a fussy citrus. They must be clipped from the tree, not pulled; and because they have a lot of juice and thin skins, they are more perishable than supermarket varieties. Meyers must go straight to market once picked, rather than be stored and ripened. This makes them relatively delicate to transport and sell commercially.

But the trees are popular for landscaping. Heck, they could be growing right in your own backyard or right next door. So, if your neighbors offer you some, by all means, go for it.

A bit of good news for all you canners and crafters ... Hydro Harvest Farms needs you. On Dec. 13, the owners are inviting you to set up a table at their "Homemade at the Farm" bazaar. If interested in sharing your canning or craft specialties, call John or Terrie Lawson at (813) 645-6574 or e-mail john@hydro harvestfarms.com.

Lynn Kessel can be reached at lkessel@mac.com or P.O. Box 913, Ruskin FL 33575-0913.

MEYER LEMON CURD BARS

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup confectioner's sugar

12 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

6 large eggs

21/2 cups sugar (3 cups, if using regular lemons)

Grated zest of one lemon

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. In a large bowl, sift together the confectioner's sugar and 11/2 cups of the flour. Using a pastry blender or your fingertips, cut in the butter until the mixture breaks into balls the size of small peas. Press the dough into the bottom and 3/4 inch up the sides of an un-greased, 13-by-9-inch pan. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown. Transfer the pan to a rack and reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar until well combined. Stir in lemon juice and zest. Add remaining 1/2 cup of sifted flour and stir until well blended and smooth. Pour the batter over the baked crust. Bake about 35 minutes, until the topping is set. Cool completely in the pan on a rack before cutting into bars.

Source: Adapted from "Joy of Cooking" by Irma S. Rombauer, Marion Rombauer Becker and Ethan Becker

For more of her recipes, visit southshore.tbo.com and enter the search words: Lynn Kessel. Readers are encouraged to send in their favorite recipes, comments and suggestions.

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