Meyer lemons
I love the process of growing and harvesting vegetables, but equally enjoy cooking and eating them. Delicious.
Growing fruit is a bit more problematic, often requiring more 'management' - organic or not- than I like to do.
And my youthful enthusiasm for harvesting blackberries, blueberries, apricots, concord grapes, and strawberries, and making jam has long since disappeared. It's nice, certainly, but jam-making is hot work, and the product not necessarily so healthful in any quantity (although I made some nice low-sugar peach preserves last summer).
But my small Meyer lemon harvest (thanks to my friend CEN for the gift of the tree), yum. They've finally become fragrant, so I harvested four lemons a couple of days ago.
Yesterday, with one of the fruits, I made a delicious lemon pasta with the zest and juice and today, it was lemon-cilantro sauced chicken. I'd never cooked anything savory with lemons before, so I had to do some research to come up with the recipes.
The lemons (so far) have been lovely, juicy with just one or two seeds, and with nice thin skins that yield a delightful zest. And I know they're organic, because I've been tending them! Last year, I'd obviously harvested the lemons too early, as they're now fragrant and a lovely yellow when fully ripe.
Last weekend, I gave the entire tree a good washing with insecticidal soap (to treat spider mites) and pruned off the kaffir lime shoots (as recommended by some knowledgeable-sounding citrus sites). I'm inspired to be an even better steward of my delightful small lemon tree!
Growing fruit is a bit more problematic, often requiring more 'management' - organic or not- than I like to do.
And my youthful enthusiasm for harvesting blackberries, blueberries, apricots, concord grapes, and strawberries, and making jam has long since disappeared. It's nice, certainly, but jam-making is hot work, and the product not necessarily so healthful in any quantity (although I made some nice low-sugar peach preserves last summer).
But my small Meyer lemon harvest (thanks to my friend CEN for the gift of the tree), yum. They've finally become fragrant, so I harvested four lemons a couple of days ago.
Yesterday, with one of the fruits, I made a delicious lemon pasta with the zest and juice and today, it was lemon-cilantro sauced chicken. I'd never cooked anything savory with lemons before, so I had to do some research to come up with the recipes.
The lemons (so far) have been lovely, juicy with just one or two seeds, and with nice thin skins that yield a delightful zest. And I know they're organic, because I've been tending them! Last year, I'd obviously harvested the lemons too early, as they're now fragrant and a lovely yellow when fully ripe.
Last weekend, I gave the entire tree a good washing with insecticidal soap (to treat spider mites) and pruned off the kaffir lime shoots (as recommended by some knowledgeable-sounding citrus sites). I'm inspired to be an even better steward of my delightful small lemon tree!
I had a Meyer Lemon tree that never did too well once it came in the house for the winter. It finally succumbed to spider mites. Glad yours is doing well, I know how fragrant the blooms are.
ReplyDeleteI always wanted a Meyer Lemon tree, but with all the ugly tree Meg brings in every winter I find there is not room for a tree with a purpose, sad isn't it.
ReplyDeleteSo glad it's producing good fruit and good recipes! A tree that I gave another friend a year earlier is on a different schedule. It produced several lemons before Christmas, in time for her to candy lemon slices and dip them in dark chocolate. And send them to me! Delicious!
ReplyDeleteHere's another idea: 2Tlemon juice, a pinch of salt and sugar, 1 c light cream, a few T'spoons of fresh chives, thyme, basil, whatever.A little zest won't hurt either.
Shake it all up and let it sit in the fridge awhile. Great salad dressing; keeps a week.
I wish I lived far enough south to grow one. Thank you for the information on yours. When its production increases, try making preserved lemons for cooking and gifting. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteIt's been such fun, and a small dwarf lemon tree isn't much trouble. Outside in the summer, and indoors in the winter.
ReplyDeleteAnd, totally cool to think about new recipes, too.
Thanks, CEN!