Meyer Lemon Gelato
‘Tis the season. Yes, winter citrus season is at its height now. Blood oranges and Meyer lemons abound. My trees are heavy with the fruit, and I just can’t get enough of it. Although it was cold here in Los Angeles today, a few days ago it was warm, and I wanted some gelato. Meyer lemon gelato, to be specific.
Meyers, smaller than the standard Eureka and sporting a thin smooth skin, are the darlings of home cooks and chefs everywhere. They are sweeter and lower in acid than standard lemons, with herbal and pepper notes, and are versatile and easy to work with. Yielding tremendous amounts of juice, they lend a burst of lemon flavor to desserts, and are wonderful in savory dishes. And they rock when roasted. Add a few halved Meyers to the pan next time you roast a chicken and vegetables. You’ll eat them right along with the chicken and veg.
A cross between a lemon and mandarin orange, the trees were brought to the U.S. from China by the eponymous Mr. Frank N. Meyer, USDA Agricultural Explorer. Until the 1980’s when the food craze really hit, Meyer lemons were the province of citrus collectors and specialty growers, but now thanks to celebrity chefs, they are in supermarkets everywhere. And if you are the hands in the dirt type, they are easy to grow. With a habit more like a bush than a tree, and beautiful big green leaves, they are a wonderful landscape plant and will bear fruit every six months. They can be found at nurseries and are available online from Four Winds Growers.
When you make this gelato, don’t be put off by the 5 egg yolks. The Meyers cut right through any “egginess,” and the yolks lend a wonderful satiny texture to the gelato. To get in the mood, when you make this gelato, listen to Paolo Conte sing Un Gelato al Limon. And if you like this, but aren’t up for gelato in February, grab some Meyers, juice them and freeze the juice. Come summer you will be glad you did.
Meyer Lemon Gelato
makes a very generous quart
2 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
5 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon Meyer lemon zest
1/3 cup Meyer lemon juice
Prepare an ice water bath. Scrub and dry lemons. Zest and juice lemons. Set aside.
Place milk, cream, granulated sugar and zest in medium saucepan. Over medium heat stir to dissolve sugar and scald mixture by heating until small bubbles form around the edge of the saucepan.
Meanwhile, separate eggs and place yolks in medium bowl, reserving whites for another use. Beat yolks with a whisk until lightened, about 1 minute.
Once milk mixture has heated, slowly add half to the egg yolks, whisking continuously. This will “temper” the yolks so the upcoming heat of the stove will not curdle them. Return milk and egg mixture to the saucepan. Over medium heat cook, stirring very frequently, until mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon or reaches 160 degrees F.
Remove from heat and strain into clean bowl, add lemon juice. Set over ice bath, stirring occasionally to promote even cooling. Place mixture in refrigerator to chill completely. This may be completed up to 24 hours ahead. This will yield about 3 ½ cups of gelato base.
Transfer mixture to gelato maker and churn according to manufacturer’s instruction. Place in freezer container, cover tightly and freeze 2 hours.
Food nerd notes:
How to make an ice water bath:
You will need 2 bowls, one larger than the other. I suggest stainless steel as it transfers heat more efficiently than glass. Fill the larger bowl with ice water to the 1/3 level. Set the second bowl aside. To use the bath, pour the liquid to be cooled into the smaller bowl and place it in the ice water, taking care that no water flows into the bowl. Stir occasionally until mixture has cooled. Remove bowl containing liquid, dry the bottom and proceed with recipe.
To freeze Meyer lemon juice:
Scrub lemons. Juice and strain. Pour juice into ice cube trays and freeze. Pop cubes out, and place in freezer bags. Expel air and close tightly. Label and date. Freeze up to 6 months.
Note: You can click on any picture for a slide show!
I have no affiliation with any product, manufacturer, or site mentioned in this article.
Friday, February 8th 2013 at 1:38 pm |
I find your posts very interesting, I love the history of Meyer lemon. I usually prepare granita al limone using limoni di Sorrento. I should try to make lemon gelato. I don’t know if I can find this type of lemons in Italy. Do you know anything about that? Thank you very much! Paola
Friday, February 8th 2013 at 2:28 pm |
Ciao Paola,
I do not know if you can find Meyers in Italy. They really are wonderful – Bart eats them out of hand. They are that sweet!
Here we can get various Mediterranean lemons – Villafranca, Genoa, Santa Teresa Femminello and others, but no matter what we do, they will never taste like yours. Your soil, the terracing, the climate and briny sea air combine to make a micro-climate conducive to growing premier citrus – unequaled anywhere on Earth. You are so lucky! I look forward to your post on granita al limone. The Meyer lemons, as you can imagine, make a lovely one, too. Thanks for the visit. Alla prossima, amica!
Friday, February 8th 2013 at 5:00 pm |
This lemon gelato sounds very refreshing and delicious
Friday, February 8th 2013 at 6:13 pm |
Hi Anthony,
Thanks – it is totally refreshing – love those Meyer lemons!
Friday, February 8th 2013 at 8:28 pm |
Adri, FYI, for those of us living in frigid winter zones, the Meyer lemon tree is a bit of heaven – blooming at Xmas, with fragrance that gets you through the tough January and February snow storms. It’s a snap to grow indoors, but beware mites! If it wasn’t 12degrees in Mt. Shasta, with wind-chill tonight, I’d be craving the gelato! Ana
Saturday, February 9th 2013 at 6:53 am |
Hi Ana,
What wonderful images! A Meyer lemon tree is a most glorious plant. I hope it warms up soon, at least enough to make some gelato!
Saturday, February 9th 2013 at 10:07 am |
Che buono questo gelato! Ma lo sai che ho comprato la gelatiera e non sono MAI, dico MAI riuscita ad usarla come si deve?? Mi rifaccio gli occhi con questa tua bontà!! 😀
Saturday, February 9th 2013 at 1:05 pm |
Ciao Ely,
Grazie! Questo gelato e pieno di sapore di limone, molto buona. Si può fare – e facile – basta seguire le istruzioni del produttore
Saturday, February 9th 2013 at 11:19 am |
Oh Adri, you make me yearn for gelato – meyer lemon gelato in specific. I’ve always liked the taste of those lemons and they always seem to be juicier than regular lemons too. Your beautiful glass compote and Bart’s photography skills really stand out with this gelato. I look forward to listening to the song too.
Saturday, February 9th 2013 at 1:06 pm |
Ciao Linda,
You’ll like this. It is full of lemon flavor, that bright flavor unique to Meyer lemons. I agree with you – I have always found them to be the juiciest of all citrus. Get them while you can!
Sunday, February 10th 2013 at 7:26 am |
Hi Adri ~ It’s so neat to meet a fellow Angeleno/Foodie/Blogger! I’ve been following Linda for years, can’t get enough of her travel posts!
YAY for our citrus season, your gelato sounds heavenly. I’ve got nine different citrus fruits here in my yard. Always looking for fresh recipes…
Looking forward to exploring your blog further.
LL
Sunday, February 10th 2013 at 8:49 am |
It’s a pleasure to meet you! Linda’s posts are positively inspiring, and I am so glad I explored her reading list and found your site. Our citrus season sure does rock. I love looking outside and seeing the trees – it hardly feels like winter!
Thanks so much for stopping by. I look forward to becoming a regular reader of Taste with the Eyes.
Sunday, February 10th 2013 at 6:42 pm |
These gelati look so delicious we are tempted to run out in the middle of this crazy snowstorm to pick up the ingredients!
Sunday, February 10th 2013 at 7:27 pm |
Grazie mille to you both. Coming from Minnesota that is high praise indeed!
Sunday, October 13th 2013 at 11:14 pm |
It isn’t the season but I just found desert. Wow.
Monday, October 14th 2013 at 7:37 pm |
Benvenuto David,
Fear not, Meyer Lemon season is literally just around the corner. Tuck this one away for a few months and you will be in business!
Wednesday, October 28th 2015 at 11:39 am |
I have no idea whether my Italian lemon tree is called Meyer, but i like the idea, and will definitely try this gelato.
Thursday, October 29th 2015 at 5:36 am |
Ciao Mette,
This one really is good. Meyer lemons are sweeter than most lemons, with more of an overall “citrusy” flavor and sometimes even a hint of pepper. They are a fine addition to any garden!