Midnightmom Posted February 26, 2021 Share Posted February 26, 2021 I recently acquired some HOME GROWN Meyer lemons. They are yummy, with a wonderful lemon flavor but missing the "pucker" power of store bought lemons. They are also smaller and the skins are a lot "softer" too. Perhaps because they don't need to be "protected" from rough handling during packing and shipping? Anyway, I want to preserve the juice. Anyone know how to do that? Also, can I dehydrate the zest and store that too? Does anyone have any recipes for how to use these lemons? I already found one for making lemon curd that I am going to try. Finally, does anybody want some SEEDS??? 1 Quote Link to comment
TheCG Posted February 27, 2021 Share Posted February 27, 2021 Mom used to just juice them and freeze the juice to make lemonade later. I'd assume they'd require more acid to can. 5 Quote Link to comment
Mother Posted February 27, 2021 Share Posted February 27, 2021 MM, I often dry the zest for later use if the product is organic. It can be rehydrated by soaking and it is great just dropped into a cup or pot of tea. I've even powdered it to use it as a sort of instant flavoring. It takes very little and remember it is ZEST which means it's going to be a bit different in taste. As an aside, I also dehydrate apple peels. When they are leathery dry I put them on a cookie sheet and roast them in the oven to a deep brown color. Once roasted I store them in air tight containers and use them to make a wonderful Roasted Apple Peel Tea. It takes a big handful of the peel to make a cup but with the addition of a small piece of cinnamon stick it or even some of the lemon or orange zest it makes a warming drink. I've never canned lemon juice as I never seem to have enough at one time but like TheCG's mom I have frozen it. I use ice cube trays to freeze a lot of my juice and broth. Once frozen the cubes are easy to pop out, place into a bag or container, and store in the freezer. That way I can take out just the amount I need. Cubes are also a great 'alarm' to tell if the freezer has been off at any point and then started again as they will all be stuck together. If there is still some shape to them I figure they weren't thawed all the way and are probably still usable. If they are one big block then I'm more cautious. 5 1 Quote Link to comment
Ambergris Posted March 2, 2021 Share Posted March 2, 2021 They are good in sorbets and really good on fish. They are good as the lemon juice in tabbouli. They make the best marmalade, next to kumquats, since the pith isn't so bitter as most citrus. The peels are great, minced or crushed, in cookies. Cut one in half and use it to scrub at a stubborn stain on a toilet bowl someone has let get ugly. 6 Quote Link to comment
The WE2's Posted March 6, 2021 Share Posted March 6, 2021 I've always dehydrated mine. Love them in a glass of water filled with ice! 1 Quote Link to comment
mommato3boys Posted March 6, 2021 Share Posted March 6, 2021 Seeds? Did someone ask if I wanted seeds? PLEASE Quote Link to comment
mommato3boys Posted March 6, 2021 Share Posted March 6, 2021 I was looking for something else but ran across this and thought I would share. https://youtu.be/1DqYmhY-OcA 1 Quote Link to comment
Midnightmom Posted March 7, 2021 Author Share Posted March 7, 2021 6 hours ago, mommato3boys said: Seeds? Did someone ask if I wanted seeds? PLEASE PM me your current mailing address. Quote Link to comment
Midnightmom Posted March 7, 2021 Author Share Posted March 7, 2021 (edited) 6 hours ago, mommato3boys said: I was looking for something else but ran across this and thought I would share. I'm surprised he didn't say anything about dehydrating them. So far I have zested and dehydrated some of the skins, refrigerated the juice, and saved the seeds. The question is, I put the seeds into the dehydrator so they wouldn't get moldy, but I wonder now if that was an okay thing to do??? (If not, I still have some that I haven't dealt with yet.) Edited March 7, 2021 by Midnightmom Quote Link to comment
Jeepers Posted March 7, 2021 Share Posted March 7, 2021 I'm not sure about how to save lemon seeds. I think they have a jelly-like coating similar to a tomato seed that needs to be removed before drying. 1 Quote Link to comment
Midnightmom Posted March 7, 2021 Author Share Posted March 7, 2021 Lemon trees, very pretty But impossible to .............................................grow from seed? I have come across conflicting information about how to store/prepare seeds for planting. Some directions say to NOT dry the seeds, others say to dry them for a few weeks. The only thing that everyone can agree on is that it can take up to FIFTEEN YEARS for a tree planted from seed to mature and set fruit!!! Lemon Tree from Seed (New Mexico State University College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences) Growing Lemons – How To Grow A Lemon Tree (Gardening Know How) How to Plant Meyer Lemon Seeds (SF Gate) 1 Quote Link to comment
Andrea Posted November 2, 2021 Share Posted November 2, 2021 I simply freeze my citrus whole. When I need some zest or juice, I pull out a lemon or lime, toss it into the microwave for 20 seconds, and then proceed like I would with a fresh lemon/lime. I've also made "fresh squeezed" orange juice from frozen oranges. But, I don't recommend this unless you have a LOT of freezer space. LOL For what it's worth, I found canning citrus juice was too much work for the quality of product it produced. 3 1 Quote Link to comment
Mother Posted November 4, 2021 Share Posted November 4, 2021 I like that idea, Andrea. I freeze a lot of things raw but I hadn’t thought of whole citrus. 👍 Quote Link to comment
Andrea Posted November 5, 2021 Share Posted November 5, 2021 Mother - if you are looking for aesthetically pleasing lemon slices for a dinner party, buy fresh. Otherwise, frozen is just fine. 1 1 Quote Link to comment
Mother Posted November 5, 2021 Share Posted November 5, 2021 I just tried freezing one and it worked nicely after thawing. Thanks again. Dinner party? Ohhhhh you mean where people get together with others at a well set table and have polite conversations over beautifully prepared foods. I do seem to remember some of those. 5 Quote Link to comment
Littlesister Posted November 7, 2021 Share Posted November 7, 2021 Never thought about doing all this with lemons. Will have to try it. I did try to grow a meyer lemon tree a couple of years ago, but it didn't work out for me. Might try it again after things quiet down around here later. Will have to try freezing a few lemons to see how that works out for me. I like lemon in tea, and use in my lemon pies as well. Quote Link to comment
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