Houston Homebody

I love Meyer lemons!  I love them in a bit of an obsessive way.  When there’s a hard freeze in January, my first concern is my own patio citrus trees, then some of my other tropical plants, then I  start thinking along the lines of; “OMG, WILL THIS RUIN THE MEYER LEMON HARVEST THIS YEAR???”

Seriously.

So what’s the big deal, you may ask?  They aren’t your ordinary supermarket lemons.  Some horticulturists believe they are a cross between a lemon and an orange.  They’re much sweeter and less tart than Eureka lemons (kind found in most grocery stores.)   I’m not a fan of most tart and sour desserts.  But Meyer lemons produce such a mild, sweet juice, they’ve won me over.

Meyer lemons are not sold in many supermarkets because their soft thin skins makes them more perishable.  So they get points for rarity, too!

But the thing that I absolutely adore about them is their intoxicatingly fragrant skin with herbal undertones.  There’s something in the smell and taste that reminds me of one of my favorite herbs- thyme.

You can use Meyer lemon juice in any lemon recipe.   Be aware, you might need to reduce the amount of sugar in the recipe since these beauties are already so naturally sweet.

Meyer lemon curd is a good recipe to start with.  You can use this curd to spread on toast or scones, fill cupcakes or tarts, or just eat from the jar.  This recipe is adapted from David Lebowitz’s Improved Meyer Lemon Curd with lemon zest added to his recipe.  As David explains, it’s easier to overcook the curd using direct heat.  So if you’re worried, this recipe can be cooked in a double boiler or with a larger bowl covering a pot with simmering water.

Meyer Lemon Curd

Adapted from Davidlebovitz.com

1/3 cup sugar
2 egg yolks
2 eggs
½ cup of Meyer lemon juice (about 2 to 3 lemons)
Zest from the 2 or 3 lemons (approximately 3 tablespoons)
Pinch of salt
6 tablespoons of unsalted butter

Prepare a mixing bowl with a fine mesh strainer on top.  Set aside.
In a heavy bottom saucepan, whisk together eggs and sugar.  Heat pan on low.  Add lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, eggs, and butter.  Whisk to incorporate.

Switch to a wood spoon or spatula (whisking throughout the cooking process incorporates air into the mixture, making the curd less dense and spreadable).  Cook on low until butter melts, stirring constantly.

Once the butter has melted, increase the heat to a medium-low, making sure the mixture does not boil. Stir constantly until curd thickens and covers the back of a wooden spoon (about 10 to 12 minutes).  Alternately, cook until the mixture reaches 165 on a thermometer.

Once thickened, pour through the fine mesh sieve into the bowl.  Be careful not to press any cooked egg bits though the sieve.

Transfer curd to clean jars or plastic containers.   Makes approximately 1 cup.   Stores in the refrigerator for about a week.

Note: If the mixture does come out grainy, rather than silky smooth, it’s probably because it was just a little overcooked.  No worries on that front,  just pop the curd in a blender and mix briefly until smooth.  The mixture will become less thick, but a night in the refrigerator will restore its spreadable consistency.