Continue reading »]]> A lot of people like to associate lemons with summertime. A nice, cold glass of lemonade is the official drink of the summer. Yet when I think of lemons, I think winter. It is in the winter when lemons are in season. And it’s the only time of year when you can find my favorite type of lemon – the Meyer Lemon. These lemons are kind of a cross between a lemon and a tangerine. They still pack that lemon punch but with a sweeter and improved flavor. To me, they are the suprerior lemon. I love using them in recipes that just called for regular lemons. One of those recipes I tried out this week was a lemon curd one by Alton Brown (bet you never saw that coming!). In case you haven’t tried a lemon curd before it’s a custard that uses eggs (in this case just the yolks), sugar, and the juice and zest of lemons (or you can use other citrus family members. It’s velvety smooth and can be used for anything you would use jam or jelly for. Below you will find my notes from this recipe. For the full recipe, visit Food Network’s website.

1. Like I said in the beginning I used Meyer Lemons instead of the traditional ones. Even thought they are sweeter, I didn’t change the amount of sugar in the recipe. I found the end result to have the perfect balance of sweet and tart.

2. To zest your lemons, I really recommend this Microplane Zester. It works so well and comes with a plastic case that is perfect for collecting the zest.

3. Making lemon curd is all about technique. You need to stir, stir and stir so more. I would do this when someone else is in the house that can help you stir if your arm starts feeling like it’s going to fall off.

4. Knowing when to stop stirring takes experience. I have made custard based ice cream, tons of times, so I have an idea what thick enough looks like. It should easily coat the back of a spoon.

It’s how a few simple ingredients can make a delicious, sweet, tart, smooth, velvety treat. It’s all through the power of sugar and eggs working together along with some flavors. Now it’s time for me to come up with some good uses for the curd. The first thing I tried it with was some popovers, another simple ingredients, delicious treat. I am looking forward to experimenting using it in other ways.

Continue reading »]]> I loved citrus – oranges, mandarins, lemons, limes. All have their place in my kitchen. They represent a group of the most versatile fruit out there. The only downside for me is that they prefer a bit warmer climate than the one I experience in the Great Lakes state. So I have to turn to other areas of the country to get my citrus fix. Florida and California are both top citrus producing states. My eyes turn to these states during the winter months. So how does the crop look this year? I will be answering that question for both of these places, starting today with California.

Last month I wrote a post on when orange/mandarin season begins and end. In it I mentioned that I have heard reports that the Naval orange crop will be smaller this year than last, but still a large crop when compared to other seasons in the last 20-25 years. Now I have a little more information for you. I e-mailed a grower out in California to ask about how their crop was doing this year. Their citrus is grown at Rising C Ranches (located in Orange Cove, California not far from Fresno and the Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks). They market their produce under the name “Ripe to You“. I have found a lot of their citrus at Plum Market in Ann Arbor, Michigan. They are dedicated to picking fruit at it’s peak. They wait for the right coloring on the citrus and for the brix levels to be high enough. I can say that everything I have bought with their sticker on it has been of the best quality.

Here is some information they gave to me:
1) They had a mild spring, which led to their season giving off to a late start. They estimate they are about 3 weeks later than some previous years.

2) In November, they began harvesting Owari Satsuma mandarins, Budda’s Hand citron, Etrog citron, variegated pink lemons, and some Meyer lemons.

3) Their heirloom navals are expected right around the end of December, along with the Moro blood oranges. Both seem to be smaller in size than usual this year. Seville sour oranges are also expected at this same time.

4) In mid to late January they are expected to harvest their limequats, Page mandarins, Cara Cara navels, and Minneolas.
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Obviously depending on the area, citrus varieties will ripen at different times. This is just meant to be a glimpse of how this citrus season may go, based on one particular farm (but it’s a farm I love to support!)

Continue reading »]]> Christmas time is a good excuse to make boatload of cookies. A homemade Christmas cookie is always welcomed as a present. I always have my eyes peeled for the next great cookie recipe. I have already made some cookies with chocolate and peppermint this year, so I was looking for a different flavor. I decided to check out Martha Stewart’s website to see if she had anything that I wanted to try. I am came across a recipe for crisp anise cookies. But I thought the cookies could use a little bit more flavor. So I decided to introduce some lemon zest. I prefer to use Meyer lemons when they are in season. I think they taste better than your traditional lemon. Martha Stewart played a role increasing the popularity of this lemon, so I thought it a very appropriate addition to one of her recipes. Click here for the original recipe. You will find my ingredients and instructions below.

1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground anise seeds (I grind them in a coffee grinder)
the zest of 1 Meyer lemon
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
coarse sugar for sprinkling

Place your eggs into the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix on medium speed. Then slowly add the sugar while the mixer is running. When all the sugar is added turn up the speed to high and beat until the mixture is thick, for about 10 minutes. In the mean time, shift together the flour, baking powder, salt, freshly ground anise seeds (use already ground if you must), and lemon zest. When the sugar/egg mixture is ready, slowly dump in the flour mixture on low speed. Mix until just combined, you don’t want to over mix.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. The dough will be on the soft side. It’s not easy to scoop like chocolate chip cookie dough, so your best bet is to pipe the cookies using a gallon sized plastic bag with a pipping tip attached. Pipe the cookies onto a sheet pan lined with parchment (lightly sprayed) or a Slipat. For more crisp cookies, try to keep the cookies small. Sprinkle some coarse sugar on top of the cookies right before you put them in the oven. Bake the cookie until firm about 10-12 minutes. I would recommend checking after 5 minutes. Keep in mind, every oven is different, so it’s best to find what works for you in regards to baking time.

Overall, I think this is a solid recipe. The anise flavor is good, not too strong, and I really like adding the Meyer lemon zest, it adds that extra something.

Continue reading »]]> Lemonade is a wonderful thing to drink in the summertime. Unfortunately most people take the easy and less enjoyable way out, by making lemonade from some sort of powdery mix. But even when they don’t do that and opt for a already made lemonade in the grocery store that too ends up coming up short. I do enjoy making my own lemonade, but depending on the price of lemons, sometimes it’s cheaper to buy already made stuff. I decided to give a try to some raspberry lemonade made by Oberweis Dairy. I found it at Plum Market in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Oberweis is unique as they still delivery milk to people’s front doors. They have been doing this since 1927. They also offer ice cream, cakes, and pies. The raspberry lemonade is a new item.

I was very pleased with this lemonade. It doesn’t taste artificial. It has the freshly squeezed lemon taste that beats any powdered mix. The raspberry taste is genuine too. It’s not overly sweet and not too tart. I also like the glass container the lemonade came in. It’s worth keeping for other things.

Where to Buy
You can find it at Plum Market in Ann Arbor, Michigan. For more info on where to find their lemonade and other products, check out their website.

Continue reading »]]> As the calendar turns to December and I watch a few snow flakes float to the ground outside my window here in Michigan, I say goodbye to the growing season. No more fresh fruit to enjoy from the farmer’s market, besides those apples varieties that have long shelf lives. However the good news is that it’s time for citrus! The local grocery stores are beginning to fill up with citrus shipped in from much warmer climates. So I decided to keep track on the site what citrus I am finding in stores each month. These are many varieties of oranges, grapefruit, and lemons to taste throughout the season. Lucky for me that season will take me right through to the spring. Anyway onto the list. I expect to update this list as the month goes on. I grouped the fruit by type.

Oranges/Mandarins/Tangerines
1. Crates of Clementines can be easily found now, going for $4.99-$5.99 a crate. These little mandarin oranges have become a Christmas time favorite. Although I think the best tasting Clementines wouldn’t appear until we are in the New Year. Some of the Clementines I have seen have been imported from Spain.

2. Satsumas are another mandarin that can be found now. I purchased some at Whole Foods the other day. They were being sold for $1.69/lb. These are most likely the orange you would have had out of a can.

3. Of course Naval oranges can be found year round, but I haven’t seen any yet that were grown domestically. So I will wait until the California ones appear in my stores.

4. I found some Fall Glo tangerines at Plum Market in Ann Arbor. I didn’t really care for them, or at least the one I got to try. Just didn’t have a good flavor and they are seeded.

5. One of my favorite oranges, the Cara Cara Navel should be arriving in stores before the end of the month. The same goes for blood oranges.

Grapefruit
I am not a big fan of grapefruit, but I will track them as for the sake of the site. I have seen Ruby Red on sale for $.99/lb at Busch’s in Saline, Michigan.

Lemons
Meyer Lemons are now available. I purchased a bag at Kroger for $1.25. These lemons are can used just as any other lemon is. They are more sweet and less acidic. Check out what I wrote about them last year.

Limes
I have not seen anything but a traditional lime in my stores. We don’t get much in the way of variety of limes in my area.

Continue reading »]]> Yesterday I was out all morning enjoying the beautiful fall colors. I planned a picnic lunch with my 2 1/2 year old daughter. I needed a drink to go along with my lunch. So I headed into a Kroger store to find something cold and that I haven’t tried before, and was cheap. So I picked up some Turkey Hill brand lemonade. Turkey Hill is a company out of Pennsylvania that produces many products. They are probably most famous for their ice cream.

The 16 ounce plastic bottle had this message on the label: “A family favorite, our signature lemonade is outstanding refreshment no matter what the season. Succulent lemon with just the right amount of sweetness is what makes Turkey Hill Lemonade stand the test of time” The ingredients are water, high fructose corn syrup, sugar, concentrated lemon juice, lemon pulp, natural lemon flavors, citric acid, potassium sorbate, and sodium benzoate.

I prefer homemade lemonade to store bought, but this one wasn’t too bad. It is a bit on the sweet side and is lacking the nice sweet/tart balance you get from a homemade version. I thought the lemon flavor itself was stronger than you find it most pre-made lemonades. A lot that I have had before just tasted and smelled like lemon dish soap.

Where to Buy
I purchased mine at Kroger. You should be able to find them at any Kroger company store, including Kroger itself, Ralphs, or Food 4 Less. You may also be able to find it at some Target stores.

Continue reading »]]> Two of my favorite things to do with fresh in-season fruit is to make ice cream (or sorbet), and lemonade! You can’t get that fresh fruit taste out of bottle or from a powdered mix. Making your own lemonade is not that hard to do, and with lemons available year around, you can combine them with any in-season fruit, for a special treat. One of my wife’s favorite is peach lemonade. It’s simple to make. You combine a basic lemonade recipe with a peach puree.

For the basic lemonade
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup sugar
6 1/2 cups good tasting water

Add all these ingredients together in a 2 1/2 quart pitcher. Stir well to combine. Note it’s important to use water that you like the taste of. If you don’t like the water from your tap, use filtered water.

For the peach puree
2-3 medium peaches
sugar

Peel and slice the peaches. Add enough sugar to cover. I just use the same amount I would if I was just going to eat the peaches as is. Using a blender (I like an immersion blender for this) puree the peaches until they are a thick liquid. Now add the puree to the lemonade and stir to combine. Taste it and add more water or sugar based on your preference. Chill your lemonade and enjoy!

Also check out my recipe for blueberry lemonade.

Continue reading »]]> Do you have a bunch of blueberries on hand and are looking for something to do with them? A great idea is to use them in some homemade lemonade. Adding blueberry flavor to lemonade, gives it an extra note of flavor that is pleasing to the tongue. It’s a very simple process to make this lemonade. It starts with making the lemonade itself and then making a blueberry puree to add to it.

For the basic lemonade
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup sugar
6 1/2 cups good tasting water

Add all these ingredients together in a 2 1/2 quart pitcher. Stir well to combine.

For the blueberry puree
6 oz fresh blueberries
sugar

Add sugar to the blueberries just to coat them as if you were going to eat them as in. Then take the blueberries for a spin in a blender or food processor. Pour the puree through a strainer to remove the skin.

Now add the puree to the lemonade and stir to combine. Taste it and add more water or sugar based on your preference. Chill your lemonade and enjoy!

Continue reading »]]> Earlier today I wrote about one of the most exotic lemonade flavors – Triple Melon. Now I am going to write about one of the most common – raspberry lemonade. Raspberries and lemons go very nicely together. So how did the King Juice Company, makers of Calypso lemonade do at creating this classic combination.

Surprisingly, just ok. It was quite boring compared to some of their other flavors, like the previously mentioned Triple Melon or their black cherry. There was nothing bad about it, it just was rather forgettable. I think Calypso does their best work when it’s something unique. But if your a raspberry lemonade lover, I would still give this one a try. I may not have been the best that I have had, but it may be the best you have had.

Click here to check out my other Calypso lemonade reviews.
Click here to see where you might be able to find Calypso lemonades.

Continue reading »]]> I have tried many different fruit flavors mixed into lemonade. One of the most unique combinations I have tried is the Triple Melon lemonade from Calypso. I thought I had tried all of the Calypso flavors, but then I saw this unique colored liquid staring at me from a refrigerated unit at Plum Market in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It also caught the eye of the cashier as I was checking out. I have had watermelon flavored drinks before, but never a drink that combined multiple types of melons. The three melons are watermelon, cantaloupe, and honeydew.

I was really surprised in how much I liked this drink. I thought that the watermelon flavor would win out, but the King Juice Company did a wonderful job of balancing each melon flavor, along with the punch of tartness from the lemonade. Very impressive.

Where to Buy
I think this flavor is harder to find than some of the others, as I have only seen it at one store (Plum Market). Click here to read my post about where you can find Calypso products.

Click here to check out my other Calypso lemonade reviews.