Lemon
Lisbon, Eureka, Meyer, oh my.
Lemons are every kitchens staples and a gift from the culinary gods. From your classic store bough lemon (which are typically Lisbon and Eureka) to Meyer. These tart and sweet treat are a power punch of flavor and compliment any dish. Lemons touch on our sour, sweet and umami receptors. Acidity leads to the increase of salivation in the mouth result is literally mouth watering effects. Taste depends on saliva to perceive flavor.
Meyer Lemon: (noun)Mey·er: A citrus fruit that resembles a lemon but is less acidic with orange yellow skin and pulp. have you tried the lemon’s half-brother, the Meyer lemon?
Brought to the United States by a man named Frank Meyer while working for the United States Agricultural department bringing plants from different regies. However later the U.S. actually band growing Meyer lemons as a disease in this type of tree hurt a lot of California's agriculture but was later resolved. A cross between a lemon and a mandarin orange offers the best of both worlds. Tart and sweet. This fruit originally from China has started one of the latest culinary trends. Currently California, Florida and Texas are the three major players in growing Meyer lemons within the United States. For those trying to produce their own gems, Meyer lemon trees grow in zone 9-11.
The flavor varies from your traditional lemon and the appearance alone stands out. You can easily identify this lemon and mandarin love child. The size alone is smaller than your average lemon (Eureka & Lisbon) along with a slightly less acidic taste. In fact, many have described the taste to have the tart flavor we are used to but sweeter with subtle herbal and spice with a hint of bergamot. The flavor profile has much more depth and complexity than any standard lemon. The skin is smooth with minimal pith which usually is bitter. However, this structure of this hybrid is much different that you can actually eat the fruit whole. Often you will see Meyer lemons pickled or preserved whole.
Pairing:
Lemon + Strawberry
Blueberry + Lemon
Lemon Lavender
Poppy Seed + Lemon
Hibiscus Lemon
Basil + Lemon
Lemon + Raspberry/Strawberry
Honey + Lemon
Lemon + Lime + Orange
Anise
Apples
berries
Cayenne + lemon
Chicken
Cranberries + lemon
Creme Fraiche/Sour Cream/Mascarpone
Garlic + lemon
Lime
Raspberry + Lemon
Plum
Vitamin C
Lemons are high in vitamin C.
Hesperidin & Diosmin
Hesperidin is a plant chemical that is found in lemons and has several health benefits. According the evidence has demonstrated that hesperidin possesses inhibitory effects against the development of neurodegenerative diseases.
Diosmin- a flavonoid (plant compound) found it citrus that have antioxidant properties and protect from free radicals. It is also believe to reduce inflammation.
The combination of Hesperidin and Diosmin are often used for blood vessel conditions.
Tips:
Adding a lemon flavorant enhance sweet taste
Stung by a wasp? Apply lemon for relief.
When cooking with lemon, if you can, add at the end to maximize taste and to prevent the loss of vitamin C
Instead of reaching for salt, add fresh squeezed lemon to dishes to enhance flavor.
Note the color of the zest of the Meyer lemon vs. a Lisbon lemon.
Adding the zest allows the flavor of the citric without the tart.
Grow it!
Lemon tree typically grow best in zone
These cold sensitive trees grow best in a warm subtropical temperatures. They do tolerate drought well so can handle hot climates such as Arizona, NM, Nevada but are best in zone 9-11
Visnagri A., Kandhare A.D., Chakravarty S., Ghosh P., Bodhankar S.L. Hesperidin, a flavanoglycone attenuates experimental diabetic neuropathy via modulation of cellular and biochemical marker to improve nerve functions. Pharm. Biol. 2014;52:814–828. doi: 10.3109/13880209.2013.870584.Schifferstein HNJ, Verlegh PWJ. 1996. The role of congruency and pleasantness in odor-induced taste enhancement. Acta Psychol. 94:87–105.