One Hundred Pounds of Lemons - Yikes

hoosierquilt USDA 10A Sunset 23 Vista CA

12 years ago

Oh boy. This is why I only have 2 lemon trees, lol!! Both are semi-dwarf trees. They are the trees that were here when we bought the house. The only citrus tree that was recognizable was the Improved Meyer, and it was a little sad-looking. The other was a lemon because the previous owner did remember, but it looked pretty much dead and unrecognizable (did have some thorns, so I would have figured it to be a lemon). A little water on drip (really, more like a decent amount of regular watering), and some fertilizing and it came back. Still as yet unidentified, but thinking it's some Italian lemon variety, since the lemons are really gigantic (although not quite as big as a Ponderosa) and it's not super thorny, so that rules out a Lisbon. And the lemons are just much bigger than a Eureka. I thought you all would enjoy seeing all the lemons that we picked off the Meyer, and what that Meyer looks like after about 60 lbs. of lemons removed. The other 40 lbs. came off the other unidentified lemon tree. This Meyer is so prolific I cannot imagine having more than one tree. It's probably 5-6 years old or so. Here are three full bags of lovely Meyer lemons:

{{gwi:575467}}

Here's the Meyer lemon tree after all the lemons were picked:

{{gwi:575468}}

And the additional 40 lbs of regular lemons, variety still to be identified (with a handful of Moros tossed in):

{{gwi:575470}}

Guess it's time to pull out the Limoncello recipe!

Patty S.

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Comments (22)

Randy31513
12 years ago
I am sure you have a microplane zester but I will post this for other citrus people. If you don't, it is a great tool for citrus lovers. Zest freezes very well.

Another thing I do is use silicone cup cake liners to freeze 2 tablespoons cupcake-cup. I keep a big bag of these for things like barbecue sauce, lemon glaze, marinades and salad dressing. The some for Meyer lemon sorbet.

A lot I make into lemonade without adding water so it is just ass water and serve.
Kippy
12 years ago
Last year we trimmed our odd lemon tree, fruit similar to your odd one. I think we got a small truck beds worth off the branches. We gave a lot away,and the rest we juiced and froze water bottle after water bottle worth of juice. I think we had lemonade for a year.
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Rorion, you're probably better off starting a brand new message, instead of tacking onto an older message thread. Also, please include where you live and zone. And if your trees are in the ground or container (sounds like you're talking about container citrus, so your topic is quite different that the original poster's thread). Patty S.
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k, riz, I'm willing to learn, do you have any studies or facts to back up what you are saying? Why do professional nurseries prune almost all the branches and leaves off when they dig trees? What you say goes against my experience, but as I say, I'm willing to learn if you have some facts to back it up. Your last statement seems to be about transplanting from pot to ground. That is a very different situation than an established tree. RE from pot to ground, I have done it both ways and when I have a new tree that is leggy from its first flush after digging, I prune it hard to 6 inch branches to encourage more branching. That works very well. That is what Dolan Young of Young's nursery recommends and he grows and sells between 100,000 and 300,000 trees a year for commercial growers. I have followed his advice and my trees have done very well. Trees that I did not prune at planting or soon after did not do nearly as well. But again, that is new trees from pot to ground, not an established tree. At any rate, I think we can agree that making sure the tree does get the same water that it was accustom to is very important. I to have learned to do things differently than I did when I started. I switched to all mulching in 1979. I never bought into the stone fruit pruning that said leave a little bit of the branch, but I always cut to the shoulder which is now the accepted practice. I used to back fill new transplants with amendments but now I fill with native soil. Just to name a few changes I've made over the years. You mention understanding plant physiology as though I didn't. hmmmmm. Well your point there was that pruning stimulates growth. Well the same is going to be true of the trees roots. They will be stimulated to grow and once the soil is replaced they will do just that. So, a little pruning of the top as well will balance the water take up demand in the short run. Soon after, as the new roots grow, so will the new top growth. Well, this thread is in danger of turning into an argument, and I don't care to argue so I apologize if it seems that way. I just differ in my opinion and experience. If you have some university studies or specific comparison date, that would be worth looking at.
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Just FYI, preserved lemons are usually made from Meyers. A friend of ours has a Ponderosa tree, though, and I've noticed those lemons are milder than the Eureka/Lisbon grocery-store variety. Also, it's usually spelled Avgolemono for the name of the Greek lemon/chicken soup, not Ovgolemono. We have friends who are allergic to rice, so we use orzo pasta instead, which works just as well. Here's one recipe for Chicken with lemon and fennel. One Ponderosa would probably equal three Meyers! Chicken Braised with Meyer Lemon & Fennel A lidded cazuela, cocote or other terra-cotta casserole is ideal for this dish, but any casserole with a lid or Dutch oven will do. The flavors blend together during the slow cooking, as the fennel and chicken absorb the flavor of the lemon. From cookbook author Georgeanne Brennan. 1 large or 2 medium fennel bulbs 3 Meyer lemons 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt or kosher salt 6 chicken thighs, with or without skin 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper 1 teaspoon dried oregano 2 garlic cloves, minced 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1/4 cup green olives (optional) 1/2 cup dry white wine 1/2 cup water 2 tablespoons grated Meyer lemon zest Trim the stalks from the fennel, reserving the lacy greens (chop them for last-minute garnish). Slice the fennel bulb lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Slice these lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Set aside. Cut the lemons in half, then cut each half into 3 pieces. Discard the seeds. You should have about 1 1/2 cups of lemon cubes. Put the lemons in a bowl and sprinkle them with the salt. Add the chicken, pepper, oregano and garlic and turn to coat. Set aside for about 30 minutes. Heat half of the olive oil in a casserole or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When it is hot, add the chicken, and lightly brown, turning several times. This should take about 10 minutes. Remove the chicken and set aside. Add the remaining olive oil and the fennel to the casserole. Cook, stirring, until the fennel is nearly translucent, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the lemons and optional olives, turning them a few times, then add the wine and water. Scrape up any bits clinging to the pan, then return the chicken to the pan. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook until the chicken is tender and the fennel can be cut with a spoon, about 45 minutes. While the chicken is cooking, mince enough of the fennel fronds to make 2 tablespoons. Combine this with the lemon zest and set aside. To serve, transfer the contents of the casserole to a serving bowl or platter and sprinkle with the fennel fronds and lemon zest. 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Roast for about 45 minutes, or until the chicken pieces are golden brown. Remove the chicken from the pan. Add the broth to the pan and place on top of the stove over medium-high heat. Stir to scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan, while smooshing the roasted garlic to thicken the sauce slightly. 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Cream the butter and 2 cups granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, the key to great cakes is beating the butter and sugar until the mixture's until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. With the mixer on medium speed add the eggs, (break the eggs into a dish before adding to the batter to avoid a bad egg or shells in the batter) 1 at a time, and the lemon zest. Sift together the flour, to make sure there are no lumps, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Separately, combine 1/4 cup lemon juice, the buttermilk, and vanilla. Add the flour and buttermilk mixtures alternately, beginning and ending with the flour. Divide evenly between the pans, smooth the tops, and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cook 1/2 cup granulated sugar with 1/2 cup lemon juice in a small saucepan and cook over low heat until the sugar dissolves. 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Lol, Mike, that's sooo funny about you shoveling snow, and the mites laughing at you..inside warm and cozy..lol Mike, I know it's temping, but don't bother bringing plants back out..the reason is, you'll haul them out, then it'll rain, nights will turn cold, and you'll have to deal with a muddy, icy mess..I've done this before, never again. I finally cleaned out the back room, planned on toting plants inside today, well, it's pouring. Not showering, but pouring rain..I hope and pray it doesn't get cold tonight..hopefully, rain will stop..I wish we had one more warm week w/o rain...even if it was in the 90's, plants would come in..that'd be perfect..each plant is hosed before coming in, water is cold, unless hose is hooked in the basement. Using cold water on plants is bad enough, but worse if temps are under 50. So, don't trust the weather, Mike. Mother Nature is playing a game..lol.. Again, you're funny about your idiot neighbors and their trees..lol.. Talk about idiots, our old neighbors planted a young tree, before moving..What the he** was the point? That little tree has grown tall and wide. It obstructs my southern windows. I hoped the tree would get struck my lightening, but unfortunately, never happened. This may sound harsh, but considering they moved 3 months later, a planned move, for the life of me, I had NO idea why anyone would plant a tree before moving. It's not like they're going to see the tree, especially since they've moved out of state. sheesh!!! So, I know what you mean about your neighbors trees. Are you seriously thinking of asking if you can keep your citrus across the street? Is there a spot in between your house and the neighbors, a gangway or entranceway, where your trees would get south sun? West light helps, since your front faces north, they should get west and east, right? I have the same problem, Mike..Most plants in the yard get north!! Some 'idiot' planted a maple tree out back, (detest that tree) that shades the yard from south. If I place them beyond the maple, they're shaded by neighbors' bushes..they don't bother trimming their darn bushes, so I end up doing it. Are you friends with ppl across the street? If so, maybe you should talk to them, ask if you can possibly add a 'few' plants on their property..lol.. Maybe if you offer a little money, like one would renting space, they'd agree..As long as you clean up any mess, (soil on windy days) felled leaves, etc, they might agree. But wouldn't you worry someone might walk off with a tree? That's my biggest fear when it comes to outdooring in summer. Especially my Gardenia tree and a mandarin someone gave me. Mike, all ingredients in the home-made insecticide are natural, except for dish soap, and soap if fairly safe. My favorite dishsoap is by Ajax..they sell grapefruit and lemon scent. The smell just might help deter insects, too. Besides, Ajax is, I believe considered a generic brand, so it's probably watered down a lot. When I use it to wash dishes, etc, I have to double the amount to get a good amount of suds. Still, 2-4 drops in even a gallon of water bubbles up. I wanted to tell you, you can experiment with dossages. The only ingredients I measure is soap and SuperThrive. Garlic, Citrus rind/juice/and pepper are added w/o measuring..I take a sniff after ingredients are added..when smell is noticable, it's enough..lol. A little more or less isn't going to matter. Except for ST, but I don't know if you plan on using it. Everything else is safe. Keep us posted if you're going to haul citrus outside again..Oh, what about your Gardenia? What are the temps up east? (the next 2 wks prediction) Leave gardenia out till temp is 40 or so. If you want it to bloom. One thing about gardenias and citrus, they bloom throughout the year. Same applies to Cyclamen, Azaleas, and Holiday Cactus..(Christmas/Thanksgiving Cactus.) Take care, Toni
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hoosierquilt USDA 10A Sunset 23 Vista CA
Original Author
12 years ago
Why yes indeedy, I have a wonderful Microplane zester (gotta watch the knuckles). And we'll be squeezing and zesting what we don't give away. It is amazing how very prolific lemon trees are. I am in citrus country, but specifically, this is "lemon country". They grow like weeds here.

Patty S.
johnmerr
12 years ago
As they say in Australia....Good on ya, mate
puglvr1
12 years ago
Wow Patty...that's amazing~ What a gorgeous Meyer lemon tree and those lemons looks great!

Its funny how different your Meyer lemon fruit looks compared to mine. Mine are more round like an orange and has no pointy tip on the bottom.

Great pictures...good luck finding uses for so many of them.
User
12 years ago
Great lemons Patty...... now lets talk about the stolen Home Depot basket? :)
meyermike_1micha
12 years ago
Patty!

You have more lemons there than all my local grocery stores put together! Fantastic work and what a blessing to get such a reward!
Now if you don't mind. can you make us some lemonade and baked haddock for the party you invited all of us to?:-)lol

You know, you posted the picture saying that lemon tree was before after you picked. If that is so, Wowowowowowowoowow

Thanks so much for sharing with us. As always, awesome!

Mike:-)
rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
12 years ago
OOh yeah....limoncello!
timsf
12 years ago
Well done Patty, and love the photo of your tree! I can only hope my 3 in-ground IMLs look as good in a couple years.

If you're having a problem w/too many fruits & can't use/give away fast enough, do you know if local food banks might be able to take off your hands? I know that here in the Bay Area we even have organizations that will come and pick right off your tree (which, fingers crossed, will come in handy for me one day!). :-)

Tim
hoosierquilt USDA 10A Sunset 23 Vista CA
Original Author
12 years ago
Love all the comments, you're all very kind :-)

Bamboo, that basket was left by the previous homeowners, so I was not the "swiper", lol :-) I guess I could do the right thing and return it, though, lol!

You all see why John has decided to grow Meyers! They are SO prolific. And, my little Meyer still looks a wee bit peaked, but it's finally greening up, as are all my citrus as our soil starts to warm up. Thanks, John, enjoying a lovely glass of Meyer lemonade as I type!

puglvr, the fruit on this tree will vary from round as a tennis ball, to classic lemon shape. All on the same tree. That is actually typical of the Meyer, this very varied fruit shape. And, I had a very interesting leaf on the other lemon tree, it was a fused double leaf:
{{gwi:575472}}

Not sure what that's about. I'll have to post it over on the Citrus Growers Forum to see what some of the real citrus experts might have to say about this. Dr. Manners might have some idea. This is on the unidentified lemon tree that has the large, sort of lumpy lemons.

Rhizo, my man! I'll take a shot of the final product when it's ready on Wednesday. SlÃ¯Â¿Â½inte in advance! Nothing like an ice-cold glass of Limencello on a hot summer evening, out by the pool :-)

And Tim, I will definitely be giving away extra fruit as my trees mature. Most of my neighbors have their own citrus and fruit trees, my sis has about 20 fruit trees including several citrus, so my family and friends are up to their elbows in their own fruit, so what I can eat, squeeze, zest, peel, put up or freeze will be given away to my local food bank for sure :-)

Patty S.
johnmerr
12 years ago
Patty,
Again, good for you.

Bamboo Rabvit... only a true curmudgeon...like myself, would notice the basket. LOL

Meyermike... Just discovered we can ship Meyers into Wilmington, Delaware... look for Mayan Meyer Lemons in a year or so.
hoosierquilt USDA 10A Sunset 23 Vista CA
Original Author
12 years ago
HAH, John! You're not a curmudgeon :-) And LOVE the name, "Mayan Meyers". Great business name for your lemons, John. Now you much think up an equally catchy tag line. So excited for your venture! And I did think about that basket when I previewed the post and thought, "Hmm, didn't realize that this was a Home Depot shopping basket." Never noticed the name of the basket until I took a photo of it. You'll have to keep us posted on how things go with your first commercial crop.

Patty S.
rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
12 years ago
Patty, don't tell anyone, but I hear from the grapevine that Rhizo is really a silly girl...at least that's what her husband calls her, lol

You can call me Dorie
hoosierquilt USDA 10A Sunset 23 Vista CA
Original Author
12 years ago
Okay, folks. Here's the result of our Limoncello. Pretty delicious, I will have to say. Of course, I have only had Limoncello once before (and it was not a pretty experience - one of those college experiences one wishes to permanently forget, lol!!) There are a few different ways to make Limoncello. This was only with 80 proof Absolut vodka and Meyer lemons. We let the peels set for about 4 or 5 days, then added the simple syrup and chilled overnight. It should mellow and improve over the next couple of weeks. Not bitter, very smooth, and tastes definitely like a Meyer lemon. Note the darling little Limoncello cups from Deruta, Italy, where they celebrate Limoncello in these lovely, handmade traditional ceramic cups. Salute!

{{gwi:575473}}

Patty S.
johnmerr
12 years ago
Patty,
My limoncello recipe comes from one of the oldest Italian restaurant families... it is to die for. The biggest distiller in Guatemala is beating down my door for my Meyer lemons and my recipe to make the NEW WORLD limoncello... he doesn't know that he is competing with McDonalds for lemonade, with 10 of the finest restaurants in the country, and with the 3 top bakeries in Central America... and that is just for the manufacturing grade of my experimental Meyer production!!!
johnmerr
12 years ago
Patty,
My limoncello recipe comes from one of the oldest Italian restaurant families... it is to die for. The biggest distiller in Guatemala is beating down my door for my Meyer lemons and my recipe to make the NEW WORLD limoncello... he doesn't know that he is competing with McDonalds for lemonade, with 10 of the finest restaurants in the country, and with the 3 top bakeries in Central America... and that is just for the manufacturing grade of my experimental Meyer production!!!
hoosierquilt USDA 10A Sunset 23 Vista CA
Original Author
12 years ago
Wow, John! Way to go. Nothing like having your door beaten down, lol!! You're going to have to share that recipe with us, now! Very cool. So many ways to make limoncello. All pretty similar, but you can get some surprising differences. I'm going to try mandarincello next. Just have to figure out which mandarins have the most oil in their skins. It was so much fun, and pretty easy to do. The key is to make sure all the pith is thoroughly scraped off from the back side of the peel. We're going to try 100 proof vodka next. And correction on the vodka, it was Skye 80 proof we used with this batch.

Patty S.
rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
12 years ago
Patty....I have just one word to say to you: Everclear.
Randy31513
12 years ago
A friend brought back a bottle of limoncello from Italy. Everyone that tasted it thought it nasty tasting. I make homemade wine but after tasting the limoncello I did not purse that, Do you mix it with something or did we have a bad bottle?
johnmerr
12 years ago
Randy,
You didn't have a bad bottle, the commercial stuff is, IMHO, HORRIBLE!!!

The owner of the distillery in Guatemala told me he had tried Limoncello a lot of times and never liked it; but, like everyone else who has tried it, he fell in love with mine. A big part of the secret is the Meyer lemon..
rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
12 years ago
Well, John...if you're going to keep boasting about it, you HAVE to post the recipe! ;-)

Randy, yes you mix the limoncello with crushed ice (my favorite way), a warm summer breeze, the vision of fireflies blinking in the yard, and soft music wafting from inside the house. Keep it in the freezer, it's sooo good icy cold.
hoosierquilt USDA 10A Sunset 23 Vista CA
Original Author
12 years ago
Here's the Limoncello recipe I used. I think it came out very nice. It's smooth, not bitter, and not too cloyingly sweet. I like the taste of the vodka. Try using a clean, highly distilled vodka. For those "adventerous" folks, you can substitute Everclear as Rhizo suggests, just don't try to drive or operate heavy machinery, lol!!

Limoncello Recipe

10 Meyer lemons
1 (750-ml) bottle vodka (100 proof)
3 1/2 cups water
2 1/2 cups sugar

Directions:
Using a vegetable peeler, remove the peel from the lemons in long strips (reserve the lemons for another use). Using a small sharp knife, trim or scrape away the white pith from the lemon peels; remove ALL THE PITH and discard (it's what can make the limoncello bitter). Place the lemon peels in a 2-quart pitcher. Pour the vodka over the peels and cover with plastic wrap. Steep the lemon peels in the vodka for 4 days at room temperature.

Stir the water and sugar in a large saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes. Cool completely. Pour the sugar syrup over the vodka mixture. Cover and let stand at room temperature overnight. Strain the limoncello through a mesh strainer. Discard the peels. Transfer the limoncello to bottles. Seal the bottles and refrigerate until cold, at least 4 hours and up to 1 month. Yield 7 cups.

Patty S.

One Hundred Pounds of Lemons - Yikes

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