Meyer Lemon Recipe Round up (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between Meyer lemon and improved Meyer lemon? ›

The “Improved Meyer” part came in when growers developed a tree that had better disease tolerance then the original run-of-the-mill Meyer.

The reason your fruit has not turned yellow may be that we have not had enough cold weather to encourage the color change. It occurs naturally as the fruit ripens, but cold weather speeds up the process. Citrus turns color in Fall, but the color does not affect the sweetness of the fruit.

The truth is, they're an entirely different breed. Compared to sour Eureka and Lisbon lemons (the varieties you'll find year-round at most grocery stores), Meyer lemons are sweeter and less acidic, with lovely floral undertones.

There are approximately 2 to 3 Tablespoons of citrus juice in a Meyer lemon if you were to press it with a juicer. You would need 5 1/2 to 6 Meyer lemons to fill a cup with fresh juice. A standard lemon produces 3 to 4 Tablespoons of juice, usually requiring just 5 to 5 1/4 lemons to fill a cup.

As for fruit, the Meyer lemon tree should produce citrus every year after it reaches maturity—i.e., around four years old. Growing a citrus tree on your own may sound daunting—most of us aren't farmers—but we promise it's just as easy as caring for your favorite houseplant (and maybe easier in some cases).

Eureka lemons, which are the kind you're most likely to find in your grocery store, have a sour, tangy flavor. By comparison, Meyer lemons are more fragrant and a touch sweeter. Their brightly colored skin is smoother and more vibrant than that of Eureka lemons, which is thicker and textured.

How will I know when they are ready to harvest? Meyer lemons ripen, between November and April. You probably noticed they flowered over a long period of time, and obviously the first fruit to set would be the ones that ripened in November. The fruit will change color as it becomes ripe.

The plants literally defoliate. Too much water triggers the plants to defoliate as well, however the leaves do not normally fade in colour and the tips of the stems will go black. The soil should be moist but not water logged.

The small lemons which drop off may not be anything to worry about, as fruit drop occurs normally as the tree varies its fruit load with its carrying capacity. Pea-sized fruit usually drop about one month after bloom. A more noticeable drop occurs in late spring to early summer, when golfball-sized fruit may drop.

Why is Meyer lemon so expensive? ›

Their limited window of availability, coupled with their more fragile nature (which makes shipping them more difficult), naturally makes them more expensive than hardier, year-round regular lemons too.

Taste – While they're moderately acidic, Meyer lemons don't have the same tang as regular lemons. Instead, they're much sweeter — so much so that some people enjoy adding the raw segments to their salads or desserts.

But one thing that isn't the same is the taste.

Fresh lemon juice is bright, tart and light. Whereas bottled lemon juice can be dull and bitter. It's easy to make fresh lemon juice with a hand juicer, so going with the fresh stuff is always a good choice.

Preliminary assessment of trial fruit at Renmark indicated that fruit grown on Benton citrange, Poncirus trifoliata and Sour orange rootstocks had the highest juice content and fruit grown on Rough lemon and Citrus volkameriana rootstocks had the lowest juice content.

Enjoy Meyer lemon juice and zest in vinaigrettes, lemonade or co*cktails. Meyer lemons make a delicious aioli, lemon curd, pie, pound cake or shortbread cookies, or simply squeeze over chicken and seafood.

They can take around six months to mature. Don't harvest them until their skin changes from green to dark yellow. When your sweet Meyer Lemons are ready, their skin will be a shade of yellow that's similar to the color of an egg yolk.

Meyer lemons are great for adding brightness to both savory and sweet recipes. You can use the juice, flesh, and rind, making this a very versatile fruit for culinary creations. If you're adding the rind to your recipes, be sure to wash the fruit properly before adding it to the dish.

Meyer Lemon

The famous favorite. The Meyer Lemon Tree is probably what comes to mind when you think of versatile indoor or outdoor growth and amazing, easy-to-grow flavor. It's especially known for offering both sweet and savory flavors from each squeeze, making it even better than store-bought.

For the most part, there is very little difference among the fruit of the different varieties. 'Bearss' and 'Avon' both originated in Florida and are similar to 'Lisbon'. 'Harvey' originated in Florida and is similar to 'Eureka', as is 'Villafranca' which came from Sicily.