Recently I discovered a new type of lemon (well new for me at least) at the supermarket, called a Meyer lemon. The bag of bright yellow lemons caught my eye and so I grabbed a bag to take home. I did some research on these lemons. They are not true lemons, as they are a cross between a real lemon and a mandarin orange. This results in a bright yellow color, with a thin rind, that is so thin you could eat it if you wanted to. They are very juicy.
The major difference between a regular lemon and a Meyer one is that, the Meyer variety is far less acidic, and more sweet. They probably are still too tart to just peel and eat like an orange, but feel free to try that for yourself.
Meyer lemons were discovered by China by Frank Meyer, who worked for the United States Department of Agriculture. His job was to go to China and to look for new types of plants to bring back to the US. One of the plants he found was a Meyer lemon. The next big break in the history the Meyer lemon was by Martha Stewart. Until she began using them in recipes, you could not find them if you live far away from Florida, Arizona, or California. They are more fragile than regular lemons, so shipping is more challenging. But thanks in a large part to Martha you can find them at stores nationwide or online
As for uses, you can do with them anything you do with a regular lemon, such as lemonade, lemon curd, and lemon bars just to give a few sweet examples. They also make a great addition to poultry dishes. Look for them in your local mega mart, and see why people are raving about these lemons.
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Eat Like No One Else » Blog Archive » Meyer Lemon Chicken says:
January 26, 2010 at 12:41 pm (UTC -6)
[...] Especially when that citrus is in the form of a Meyer lemon. For more on these lemons check out a previous post. Here is what you will need to make this [...]
Eat Like No One Else » Blog Archive » Meyer Lemon Grilled Chicken says:
February 2, 2010 at 9:57 am (UTC -6)
[...] is my 2nd recipe combining meyer lemons and chicken. Last time we baked our chicken, this time we are going the grilled route. The recipe [...]
Eat Like No One Else − Citrus Available in December (2010) says:
December 1, 2010 at 8:26 am (UTC -6)
[...] 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. [...]
Meyer Lemon Anise Cookies » Eat Like No One Else says:
December 7, 2011 at 1:39 pm (UTC -6)
[...] 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 [...]
Alton Brown’s Lemon Curd (with Meyer Lemons) » Eat Like No One Else says:
January 20, 2012 at 3:45 pm (UTC -6)
[...] 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 [...]