For the last six years, the highlight of my January has been the day the box of Meyer lemons arrives on my doorstep from the Lemon Ladies Orchard in Emerald Hills, California. My whole apartment fills with their fragrance the moment I unseal the box and I spend the next week or so making marmalade, syrups, curds, preserved lemons, and dehydrated rounds.
Last April, while I was on the first leg of my book tour, I spent a little time visiting Lemon Ladies and getting to know the owner, Karen Morss (she even put me up one night, which was incredibly kind of her).
In the morning, Karen took me on a tour of the orchard, which is tucked into her backyard. She introduced me the 40 trees that make up the orchard (each named after a different woman who had inspired her) and told me about the joys and challenges of growing fruit.
Karen uses organic fertilizer, ladybugs, and love to raise her lemons and it shows in her gorgeous fruit. I am forever in awe of the fact that such glorious fruit just grows on trees in California (I realize it sounds ridiculous, but in the depths of Pennsylvania winter, such things don’t seem entirely possible).
For this week’s giveaway, Karen has offered up a gift box of her lemons to one lucky winner. This prize has a $30 value and contains 3 1/2 pounds of juicy, fragrant Meyer lemons. Use the widget below to enter!
marmalade
I love citrus in the winter!
Right now I’d love to make anything lemony since I’m also in the depths of a gray Pennsylvania winter!!
Lemon curd, lemon bars, fresh squeezed lemon on chicken or fish – all manner of lemony goodness.
I would love to try the citrus vinaigrette recipe on the Lemon Ladies Orchard Facebook page. I would also like to try a lemon curd and then I would use them to cook delicious meals with!
I love to make lemon curd and would try another round of marmalade. I also love to cook with lemons – adding a Meyer lemon to browned chicken and simmering it down is just heavenly!
Oohh the lemons look so beautiful! I bet they smell like flowers! Thanks so much for the giveaway. A box of sunshine in the middle of the cold winter.
I’ve had such fun with this challenge so far. Thank you for creating it and managing it! This past January, I made grapefruit marmalade twice, and a mixed fruit marmalade once.
A few days ago, I received a box of citrus fruits from my cousin who lives in California. She’s not sure what they are, but they are wonderful. They are yellow like a lemon on the outside and the palest green on the inside, really, they are yellow with a green tinge. Tart like a lemon with a lime perfume, you can actually eat them as you would an orange or grapefruit. I plan to make a marmalade out of them and secret the jars away so that I can enjoy them for a long time. Maybe I will preserves some as well.
I’m looking forward to the salt preserving challenge. If I win the Lemon Ladies lemons, a few will go into jars and get turned into preserved lemons. I use them in chicken soup. In the winter, when the days are dreary, I like to add preserved lemon. It enhances the chicken flavor and makes my soup taste like sunshine – which is needed in NYC winters.
Lemon shortbread cookies with rosemary and preserved lemon.
Would love to win these! Preserved lemons, marmalade, curd, the possibilities are endless!
I’ve really been wanting to try my hand at limoncello for a while now. You’ve gotten me quite interested in marmalade as well. I’ve never had salted preserved lemons…they sound so good! I love lemons and have a few at the moment. I like making drinks with soda water, lemon juice and a bit of vodka. So refreshing!
Sign me up! I just spent a small fortune on 5 meyer lemons, they will probably taste ok, but were not very pretty. For Christmas four very special family members received lemon curd from your recipe. I have been wanting to make more for my own pantry.
I’d probably make marmalade, and maybe some candied peel. Yum!
I have wanted to try preserving with Meyer lemons for a long time! I want to try lavender lemon marmalade!
I can just imagine how wonderful these smell! I would make Meyer lemon marmalade with these – it’s my favorite!
I would love to make a Meyer lemon-grapefruit marmalade like I made in a canning class a couple of years ago, which was divine! Also, if it was a little closer to spring, Meyer lemon-strawberry jam would make me happy, but unfortunately the seasons really don’t overlap, at least in my neck of the woods.
First I would slice some for lemon water, then I would dehydrate some, also there will be lemon bars!
Never had Meyer lemons, therefore I am very keen on trying them. Maybe for some curd, but salted lemons sound also tempting.
I made Meyer lemon slices in syrup – they are so delicious! I would definitely make them again.
I would make some fresh lemonade, lemon bread, cook with, and definitely try my first marmalade.
I would love to taste these lemons.
Gift some, jam some!
I would make lemon curd for the freezer. So delicious!
I’ve been wanting to try preserved lemons!
I will make a marmalade with mangos from the past summer that are stashed in my freezer!
Kombucha and strawberry lemon preserves
Lemon curd, limoncello and lemonade ice cubes (juice with a little zest and stevia to sweeten).
lemon bars, lemon curd and Meyer lemon creme brûlée!
I would definitely use some to make preserved lemons, I’ve been wanting to try that for a long time. And Marisa’s Strawberry Lemon Marmalade…and save some to use fresh with chicken and salmon…
limoncello and lemon ginger marmalade!
Meyer lemon and champagne jam! Then preserved lemons; we ran out! *gasp*, lemon curd…. the list goes on!!
Meyer lemons remind me of my grandparents house in CA. I’d make limoncello and dried lemons for seltzer.
I could use a fresh jar of salt-preserved lemons for the coming year – last year’s stash is just about used up.
Lemon curd! Lemon marmalade!
I would make lemon marmalade, limoncello, and preserved lemons…Also..I goofed and got too excited. here is my url for the tweet.
https://twitter.com/swingkittenz71/status/826595591270625281
I would use them to make limoncello and curd. Lots of curd and limoncello! Those were my favorite things that I made the last time I ordered a box.
I’m thinking lemon curd, and candied lemon peels, and lemonade!
Marmalade or other preserves, and freezing zest and juice for later!
I lost my AZ lemon tree during a monsoon & really miss all those fresh lemons. Send ’em my way.
Meyer lemons scream; “Lemon Bars, Lemon Ricotta Pancakes AND Lemon Meringue Pie”! I think I could get 3 half-pints of lemon curd, as well!
I would use them from lemon curd and I would love to try canning them
Mostly We would use them for fresh cooking
I will keep some out to have with tea. I’ll probably make lemon curd and maybe zest & juice some to freeze for later use.
I will make honey lemon marmalade, good for whatever ails you!!!!
I will use the lemons with my Blood Orange juice I am reserving to make some incredible jelly. I will also make some Meyers Lemon Jelly. I have never made limoncello but would love to make some. My neighbor is an expert. If there is anything left I will freeze the remainder of the juice so I have it when I find another spectacular recipe I want to try.
I’d make lemon curd and try preserving some of them.
Lemonade! Lemon curd! Squeeze them into sparkling water and over everything I can think of!
I would make marmalade and syrup and lemon zest sugar!
Oh, so many possibilities! Lemon curd or a marmalade would be tops, but also limoncello and salt preserved lemons to perk up dishes.
Oooohhh…I would use the lemons to make candied lemon peels and a natural cleaner…after I save some back for eating fresh on fish and chicken!
So fun! Thanks for the chance to win!
And how could I forget! Limoncello!!!
I lover baked oatmeal with blueberries and Meyer lemon juice and zest!