Central Virginia Organic Gardener

"And 'tis my faith that every flower enjoys the air it breathes." - William Wordsworth, 1798

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Meyer Lemons



I had written an earlier post about hand pollinating my Meyer lemon plant last winter (taking pollen from one flower to others on a fine paintbrush) and getting two lemons. (The other day I hand pollinated about 10 blooms- we'll see what I get this year, though the plant had a bit of an bad adjustment to lower light conditions indoors this year).). This was very easy, and the lemon plant summered outdoors and the lemons grew very plump and fragrant. They are pictured above with the sliced lemons for a Shaker lemon pie that I made at Thanksgiving. Here's the recipe:

2-3 large lemons, organic Meyer or other
2 c sugar
3 eggs
1 pie crust

Slice lemons, rind and all, very thin (the Shakers valued all parts of the then rare and expensive lemons). Mix with the sugar and allow to soak, in fridge, overnight. In the morning, blind bake a pie crust till golden and allow to cool while you beat the eggs until light and add to the lemon mix. Pour filling into crust and bake in a 400 degree oven for 15 minutes, then reduce to to 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes until custard is set. This is delicious, tart and sweet treat!
Happy gardening and cooking!

No comments: