Friday Favorite: Pucker Up for Free Lemons
I’m a big fan of all things lemon, always have been. When I was a little girl I ate lemons like other kids ate apples. My taste for the lemon hasn’t changed, I find myself adding lemon zest or lemon juice to anything that will take it. I also love grapefruit, must be something about that tartness that I love. Several years ago, when I started becoming more of a local eater I quit buying as many lemons (which was very sad). Then I discovered the joy of supporting small farms around the country for things I can’t buy locally like olive oil, grapefruit, oranges and of course lemons.
Last year I found the Lemon Ladies Orchard and was thrilled with the box of Meyer Lemons I received. They’re not like regular lemons, they’re sweeter, since they’re a cross between a lemon and a mandarine orange. The Lemon Ladies orchard was started in 2004 by Karen. She decided to name each tree after a lady who had inspired her and helped her achieve her dreams. She grows her trees with organic fertilizer, lots of sunshine and fresh water and they flourish under her care.
I received my box of lemons in the mail last Thursday and have been enjoying sliced lemon in my tea every day. Tonight I plan on making berry cobbler with lemon juice and lemon zest. I’ll make another batch of preserved lemons for sure and meyer lemon marmalade to keep the flavor of these all year long. I might even make a lemon cake with lemon icing, if I do I’ll share with a friend of mine who also has a love for all things lemon.
Earlier this week, Karen, contacted me to thank me for mentioning The Lemon Ladies on my blog and she offered to give a Meyer Gift Bag to one of my lucky readers as a Valentine’s Day Giveaway. So PUCKER UP and comment below, you could win a dozen lovely freshly picked Meyer Lemons from a small orchard in California.
What’s your favorite kind of fruit?
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177 Comments to “Friday Favorite: Pucker Up for Free Lemons”
About
This is a daily journal of my efforts to cultivate a more simple life, through local eating, gardening and so many other things. We used to live in a small suburban neighborhood Ohio but moved to 153 acres in Liberty, Maine in 2012.
I think cherries or peaches are my fave, but lemons make everything taste better.
to Jill's comment
My favorite kind of fruit? Well, nice and sweet, usually foraged, free or raised by me! Watermelon chilled in a creek…tangerines fresh from the tree, pears dripping with sweet juice and the cherries hanging from the highest branches.
to Lynda's comment
Mmmmmm lemon….I also LOVE me some lemons! I love the tast but the smell of lemons are just divine. I cut half a lemon and squeeze the juice in a cup of hot water every morning, and sometimes use the other half cut up in slices in my water throughout the day. I love the smell so much that I put lemon essential oil in my homemade cleaning products too! I love to clean and mop my floors just to smell the fresh lemon scent!
I might have to try to make a lemon cake sometime, that sounds mouth watering!
As far as fruit goes… oh man that is a tough one, I love fruit so much. I really love berries. Blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and strawberries. I have berries everyday in my morning cereal.
to Mandy's comment
Since you asked … very fond of figs. My dad had a fig tree when we were in Georgia and at the peak of the season one year I counted a single day’s crop; it was 213 figs. Figs are iffy here in the Willamette Valley, my saplings froze to the ground but came back this year and they are thoroughly wrapped. We have 40 fruit trees of various kinds, and not one of them, alas, is a lemon tree. :)
to risa b's comment
Plums and peaches are my favorites, but I love adding a bit of lemon juice or zest to many dishes as they cook. It seems to enhance and brighten the flavor. We don’t see Meyer lemons in the stores here in NC – what a treat! I love Meyer lemon marmalade!
to Barbara's comment
Favorite Fruit of all time, Saskatoons, they bring back such memories of my childhood, family and farm life for me.
to farmgal's comment
My favorite is generally whatever is in Season and at it’s best. Right now I’m heavily into oranges. I planted raspberries and blueberries last year in the yard, and am planning on a couple apple trees this year. I bet those Meyer lemons would be wonderful in my Grandmother’s lemon bar recipe ~
to Liz J's comment
My favorite fruit is probably the mango. I use lemons in my tea, etc. The Meyer lemons sound interesting. I would love a chance to win!
to Kay's comment
I didn’t think I was keen on citrus, but this year, I taught a canning class on marmalade, and found myself waxing lyrical about the fruit. And then later again, as I was working with cara cara oranges, I realized: I love citrus! And as much as peaches, apples, and berries are great, I have a real passion for the citrus, especially the meyer lemon. I grew up in Tajikistan, and that was the only kind of lemon I knew–maybe that’s why I love it so much.
to Kat's comment
My mom used to have a lemon tree in her yard that grew lemons that were HUGE and were sweeter like a Meyer’s lemon. Unfortunately, it died many years ago and I have been forced, like you, to buying the at the grocery which is ridiculously expensive. I can hardly wait until I have a yard or space of my own to grow my own tree.
Thanks for the site mention. Will definitely check them out!! Always enjoy your posts!
to Kim's comment
Raspberries! In jams, on cheesecake or the best right off the plant! I have been wanting to make a batch of Limoncello and Meyer’s Lemons would be perfect for this!
to Lisa's comment
Raspberries. I adore them. But lemons are a close second. I can’t imagine life without lemons.
to molly's comment
I love most fruit, but I especially enjoy any fruit that I can personally pick from a tree. I would have to say my favorite fruit is loquats. I love your blog and have learned so much about vegetable gardening, which I also love. Thanks.
to aruna's comment
I love lots of different kinds especially when they are in season and fresh picked. I have never had meyer lemons before so I followed your link and ordered some from the lemon ladies. Can’t wait to get them. I love your blog and read it every day!
to Cathy's comment
Oh yum! Living in Florida, we normally get tons of citrus, but we’ve moved to another house with no fruit trees around! We snagged some tangerines from a friend a few miles away, but have no lemons or grapefruits :-(
to Christine McCormick's comment
I like clementines or bananas.
Amy
to goatpod2's comment
Any kind of berry in the summer, but in the winter all things citrus!
to Kathi's comment
Oh yeah. Can we say lemon curd. I love lemon in my smoothies…peel and all. Just wonderful.
to Carissa White's comment
Tough call, Lemons or Limes? I love the tartness that makes me pucker. Lemon cake, Key lime cake, Lemon curd for my scones, Mediterranean chicken, salad with lemon or lime infused dressing. The list goes on. Thanks for sharing as you do. I look forward to your posts!
to Sonya C's comment
I never ever tasted a meyers lemon ; I envy you
But living all the way in Belgium surely has something to do with it
enjoy yours
to Free's comment
I think my favorite kind of fruit is probably persimmons, but lemons are right up there too! I don’t think I’ve ever tried a Meyer lemon. Would be very willing to give it a try!
to Heather's comment
All-time favorite fruit has got to be peaches. I’m a Southerner, so I usually pass on the so-called “Ripe ‘n’ Ready” peaches I find in grocery stores up here in New England — they are very rarely ripe or ready, and usually imported from California! This year, I’m planting a peach tree, so hopefully in a few years I’ll be able to pick my own tree-ripened deliciousness.
As for citrus, I can’t get enough of it in the winter. I thought I didn’t like grapefruit, but I have changed my mind this year..yum.
to Zoë's comment
I love lemons too. I’d have to say right now my favorite fruit are strawberries. A few years ago we canned strawberry lemon concentrate which we add just a little bit to sparkling water now. Perfect on a hot summer day.
to Danielle's comment
My answer varies dependent upon the season, like many others, Right now, grapefruit tops the list. I generally go on a crazy lemon binge in late February for some reason and enjoy them for as long as possible until it is time for strawberries. But if I had to pick just one favorite fruit, I would say peaches. Nothing can beat a fresh, warm, juicy peach in late summer, but they are also wonderful when they come out of my freezer in the middle of winter, or out of my jars of canned peach salsa off the shelf of my pantry. Thank you so much for this chance! Now I am off to check out the Lemon Ladies.
to Toni's comment
Blueberries eaten right from the plant – that would be my favorite. Berries have such a short season.
As far as exotic fruits go, pineapple would have to be my favorite. My siblings and I would fight over the juice when Mom drained a can of pineapple.
I keep reading about Meyer lemons, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen them. My knowledge of lemons is either lemon juice in a bottle or 2/$1 lemons in the produce section.
to Canadian Doomer's comment
Yes, you would even take the lemons out of the glasses of water at restuarants and eat them!
I usually just buy lemon juice concentrate for our lemon use.
ws
to Wendy's comment
My favorite fruit has got to be the seckle pear. Not only is it beautiful and adorably tiny, it has a much more complex flavor than the run of the mill pears. My favorite thing to do with it is to make seckle pear-mascarpone tart with home made lemon-soured mascarpone. (Sometimes if mascarpone isn’t available I’ll substitute neufchâtel for a different effect). It’s become a real favorite around our home and I even managed to bake several of them for our wedding, thus introducing them to several of our friends and families.
The seckle is great for eating plain too, and has a longer “ripe” stage than most other pears (who tend to go from rock hard to icky mush when your back is turned). We lucked out when we moved to our current home. I knew there were fruit trees when we signed the lease but I assumed they were apple based on their age (50+ years). It wasn’t until much later that I discovered there nearly half of the trees were pear, and the biggest, healthiest pear tree is a seckle!
to Emily Jenkins's comment
A perfectly ripe mango, a super sweet blackberry and a juicy pomegranate. YUM! But seriously, all fruit is spectacular in season and with the warmth of the sun still on it.
to Mystik Momma's comment
I would probably say berries are my favorite of the fruits — especially raspberries. However, I LOVE the tang that a little bit of lemon juice and zest bring to a berry dish. Very excited about this giveaway. I’ll definitely be checking Lemon Ladies Orchard out!
Emma
City Roots, Country Life
to Emma's comment
I LOVE lemons! One of my favorite parts of my trip to Italy was going to Ana Capri and seeing all the GIANT lemons in the market. I think they grow them so huge there for their rinds with which they make their Limoncello — another favorite of mine! I was fortunate to have been able to buy a few Meyer Lemons at Whole Foods last year and they are as you say! Very yummy! A girlfriend of mine who is also a gardener and a “foodie” bought a potted Meyer Lemon tree and we call that, “The baby” It had a couple of blooms on it at Christmas time but so far, no tiny lemons. :-(
to Rhonda Jurgenson's comment
Be sure to tell your friend to feed her potted tree with citrus food. Lemons are self pollinating but need LOTS of nitrogen and sun!
to Karen Morss's comment
No doubt about it, fresh tree ripened peaches. I wait all summer until the sugar peaches come in. I’ve never seen or heard of Meyer Lemons until just recently so I can’t wait to have a taste. Lemons just add so much zing to anything.
to Toni in TN's comment
Ooh, that’s a toughie! Right now I’m pregnant and am for some reason craving pears…but my all-time favorite fruits are blueberries.
to Courtney F.'s comment
I’ve been wanting to try Meyers! I’m a banana eater, but I dig oranges and clems too.
to Melanie J.'s comment
My ultimate favorite dessert of all time is lemon pie. Yum : )
to Cannedquilter's comment
Cherries. without a doubt, bing cherries.
to Avie's comment
Before I started eating local, fresh, fruit, I might have said fresh pineapples and mango, but I wonder now if I was just drawn how intense their flavors were to the rest of the supermarket fruit. Juicy, sweet pears, muscadines, melons, and blackberries that I can pick in my own yard are sure favorites, but so are the first ripe peaches of the year from the farm up the road. In the summer, we eat lots of fresh fruit, but I’ve been known to make quite a few blackerry or peach cobblers in the summer time. :)
to Laura Z's comment
Oh I am in LOVE with all citrus right now. After two months of no grocery shopping I had to buy some organic lemons the other day and this farm looks like a great place to get some more.
to Shannon's comment
I’ve always called them citrus groves rather than orchards. Orchards is reserved for other fruit trees. Am I wrong or are there others?
I love all kinds of citrus.
Please do not enter me in you contest. I have ample access to citrus. You snow bunnies need it. Enjoy.
to MAYBELLINE's comment
I love all things citrus! Texas Rio Star Grapefruits, Meyer Lemons, clementines, limes, etc. Runners up though would have to include peaches and plums, with everything picked fresh from the tree!
to Kat's comment
I love lemons! But, my favorite fruit might be the cherry. We planted a couple cherry trees when we bought our first home last year. I hope they survived this rough winter the South has seen.
to Miranda's comment
Do avocados count as fruit. Love ’em! Also a huge fan of grapefruit.
to Chris's comment
I love cherries. The kids love cherry picking at a local farm. I could eat myself sick on them.
to Chandra's comment
would be between cherries and peaches.
my 7 year old daughter begged me to buy a small start of a meyer lemon tree last year- it did grow some, we brought it inside for the winter and will put it outside this spring. She is a big lemon fan- lemon bars, lemon pound cake and lemon curd are her favs. Would think the lemons would be good in an old fashioned lemon ice box cake!!!
to alecia's comment
Mmmm…the lemon marmalade sounds fantastic.
My favorite fruit is probably the nectarine. I think they are more consistently good than peaches, rarely mealy, and no fuzz! I love to make nectarine salsa in the summer time. It’s the perfect combination of sweet, salty, and spicy.
to Daedre Craig's comment
I love white peaches, freshly picked from the tree. Karen’s lemons are fantastic and I would love some more!
to Diane's comment
My favorite fruit is peaches, in cobblers, as jam, or just as a peach. I do however keep lemons on hand for use in ice tea and in lemon water.
I have never had a meyer lemon so they would make a very nice treat.
to Teresa Rawlings's comment
I probably like yellow cherries the best, but lemonade is my favorite drink! For probably 10 years now I’ve wanted to buy a Meyer’s lemon tree. I keep putting it off, maybe this is the year…
to Anne's comment
My favorite fruit depends on the season, and right now it’s oranges.
Those lemons look fantastic!
to Tracy's comment
My favorite fruit is wild black raspberries. Unfortunately, I have a hard time finding them locally and their season is very short here too.
I have never tried a Meyer Lemon – but look forward to it!
to Bonnie's comment
Grapefruit. Barring that it’s fresh, local Nectarines. I grew up with those every year when we went to my Aunt/Uncle’s cottage on the lake in Ontario and the store-bought ones I find around where I live now – well, I just can’t bear to eat them because they’re so bland and hard.
to Kelly's comment
I tried growing Meyer lemons in my office. I ordered a plant from gurneys or one of the catalogs. It never thrived and has since died, but it made one seriously awesome lemon before it gave up the ghost…
to warren's comment