We have the biggest Lemon tree in our garden and, at least 10 months of the year, it is full of big, yellow, tasty Lemons! We were so excited when we moved in and I couldn’t wait to start cooking with them. After doing loads of pancakes with freshly squeezed Lemon juice on and a few Lemon Meringue Pies, I ran out of ideas. Then my friend gave me a Limoncello (below) recipe and I was away! Someone else recommended cutting the Lemons and putting them into cubes and freezing them. This has worked brilliantly as it gives you an ice cube and a slice of Lemon at the same time. Have all these recipes cleared our Lemons? No, I still take a crate or two to our local restaurant now it’s open again!!
Buen Apetito
Limoncello
- 10 lemons
- 1 (750-ml) bottle vodka
- 3½ cups water
- 2½ cups sugar
Using a vegetable peeler, remove the peel thinly from the lemons in long strips (reserve the lemons for another use). Using a small sharp knife, trim away the white pith from the lemon peels; discard the pith. Place the lemon peel in a 2-quart container. Pour the vodka over the peel and cover with plastic wrap. Steep the lemon peel 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 mins). 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 peel. Transfer the Limoncello to bottles. Seal the bottles and refrigerate until cold, (at least 4 hours and up to 1 month).
Lemon Carrots
- Several carrots
- 50g butter
- 2 fresh lemons
Peel and slice carrots and cook until just firm. Melt butter in pan until just runny. Add juice from the lemons and stir. Add carrots and stir until coated with sauce. Serve immediately.
Lemon Drop Scones
- 115g whole meal flour
- 1 tsp baking of powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 25g fructose
- 1 egg
- 2 lemons
- 6 tbsp skimmed milk
- 15g butter
In a bowl, mix the flour, baking powder and salt together. Add the butter, fructose and beaten egg. Grate the rind from the lemons and save for later. Squeeze the juice and add to the flour mixture. Add some milk to the mixture a bit at the time until it resembles a thick batter. Finally add the rind to the mixture. Cook on a griddle or grease a tray and heat in the oven until really hot and then drop spoonfuls of the mixture and cook oven 220ºC immediately. Drop scones are best eaten hot, but can also be eaten cold with butter.
Frozen LemonYogurt
- 6 lemons
- 100g caster sugar
- 142ml pot whipping cream
- 200g low fat vanilla or plain yogurt
Scrub the lemons, cut off the tops and scoop the flesh and juice into a saucepan, remove pips and heat gently with the sugar. Simmer for 2 mins, then remove from heat and allow to cool. Stir in cream. Whisk in yogurt and turn into a rigid container and freeze for 2 hours. Remove from freezer and break up the ice crystals. Scoop into lemon shells and return to freezer until solid.
Lemon Curd
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1/3 cup + 2 tsps granulated sugar
- 1½ ounces lemon juice (from 1-2 lemons)
- 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
- Pinch of salt
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
Choose a small saucepan. Place the egg yolks and sugar in the pan and whisk until well blended. Turn the heat on medium-low under the saucepan and stir in the lemon juice, lemon zest and salt. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, for a couple of minutes. Stir in the butter and continue to cook until very thick, glossy and opaque. (You may find that you get a foamy white top layer that doesn’t seem to want to blend in.)