JEWISH LEMONS??

We have long wondered what Meyer had to do with lemons, and how he managed to get them named for him. Go know, Jewish lemons!?

Check out this article from the Baltimore Sun:

The stately lemon stands tall in the kitchen and should not be viewed with a sour disposition

By ELINOR KLIVANS

Tart and sour rather than mild and sweet are qualities usually associated with lemons, but that was before Meyer lemons came onto the scene.

Long a favorite of restaurant chefs, the Meyer lemon has made its way across the country from California groves. These lemons have such a pure, clear lemon taste that they are often called the ”true” lemon.

Frank Meyer was a plant explorer and U.S. Department of Agriculture employee who discovered the lemons growing in yards in China. In 1908, Meyer introduced them to the United States and the lemons were named after him.

Meyer lemons have been a long time coming into commercial production. The original trees turned out to carry a virus that could kill other varieties of citrus trees. In the 1940s, most of the Meyer lemon trees were destroyed to save other citrus trees.

It wasn’t until the 1950s that scientists at the University of California, Riverside developed an improved Meyer lemon unable to carry the virus. This opened the door for commercial production and more widespread availability of the fruit. Most of these lemons are grown in California, but they also grow in Texas and Florida.

Although their true origin has not been established, Meyer lemons probably are a cross between a lemon and a mandarin orange. This would account for their characteristic sweet and less-acidic taste, rounded orange shape, golden orange flesh and hint of orange flavor.

Meyer lemons are quite juicy and an average lemon will yield at least ? cup of juice. If you hold one of the lemons in your hand and give it a slight squeeze, you can feel the juice through its thin skin.

The skin varies from a deep-yellow color to almost orange. The darker the skin, the riper the lemon. Look for lemons that have a smooth, firm skin and no soft spots or hint of mold.

Fresh Meyer lemons can be stored in the refrigerator for as long as 10 days. One good way to extend the season is to squeeze the juice and freeze it in an ice-cube tray. Then remove the frozen juice cubes from the tray and store them in a tightly sealed plastic freezer bag for as long as two months.

Use Meyer lemons as you would other lemons, but remember that because of the lemons’ sweet nature, recipes that use them might require a bit less sugar. An example is my recipe for homemade lemonade that mixes only 4 tsp. of sugar with 6 T. of Meyer lemon juice and 1 cup of water.

When using the peel and juice in a recipe, be sure to grate the peel before squeezing the juice. As with any grated citrus peel, use only the colored part of the rind. Any white pith will be bitter. The skin is thin and one lemon produces about 1 tsp. of grated zest.

Lemon is a natural partner with chicken. Before baking chicken breasts, try marinating them in Meyer lemon juice and topping them with lemon slices and a sprinkling of brown sugar. As they bake, the lemon slices become lightly candied.

The juice and zest can make a lemon cake and lemon-cream-cheese frosting with an extraordinary lemon flavor, but without the least bit of a sour or bitter aftertaste. The lemon cake accompanying this story bakes in a tube pan and is perfect for serving to the picnic or the tea-party crowd.

Finally, there is a smooth and creamy lemon pie with a clear, pure taste of lemon. This pie is best served cold on the day that it is prepared.

Once you try this extremely juicy lemon with its subtle citrus flavor, you will be hooked. Just be sure to stock up on a few bags of this succulent fruit while it is in season.

Come May, Meyer lemons will be scarce until November when the new crop arrives.