Meyer Lemonade

Old man winter of the northeast is certainly no friend of mine. Like most bitter enemies, he's picked up on my biggest weakness (being a westcoaster a long ways from her warmer home!) For the better part of the year he taunts me with bitter cold and prods me with gusty winds, ice pellets, sleet, and snow. The old man and I go way back; the score stands at 9-0 with him winning every round. The winter of 2004 stands as the most memorable defeat: The year that the wind chill was so bad that my eye lashes froze on my walk to work. Picture a shivering twenty-something with ice-crystal crusted lashes from profusely watering eyes. It will take a lot to top that but this year, with our 80-plus inches of snow (not quite a Shaq of Snow, but so close!), has come close. As always, I counted myself lucky once February was over. Once March rolls around, things invariably begin to look up. Temperatures hover in the balmy 30s and I can nearly excuse away the wayward flurries and blistering cold nights. After all, he can’t stay forever, right?  And as April nears, my day dreams turn to strappy sandals and alfresco dining. But this is all part of his plan, because just as we let our guard down, he strikes again. So, you can see why I was so unbelievably miffed to find myself wading through near ankle deep snowy slush last week, on a certain first day of April! I should really know better by now. Without fail, winter gets me every time.  The old man has it out for me. 

Feeling battered and in need of something to restore my hope that spring (and summer!) will eventually come to the rescue, I mixed up a batch of the only antidote that seemed up to the task: Fresh-squeezed lemonade, which I like to think of as sunshine in a glass. Besides, having acquired a sack of dainty meyer lemons on sale (and feeling quite thrilled about my very first meyer lemon purchase!), I’d been looking for an excuse to use them and figured this would be as good a time as ever.

Boasting a bright yellow color and a dainty petite frame, meyer lemons are sweeter and less acidic than their conventional counterparts. Juiced up and mixed with simple syrup and water over ice, they lent a gentle floral flavor to the glass and gave a fun twist to the time-honored classic. Even their peel tastes slightly sweet, so the recipe requires less sugar than you would expect. Here’s the thing though. Without the tangy bite imparted by conventional lemons, it just didn't seem quite right. Turns out that lemonade might not have been the best use for my little stash, but lest anyone be quick to cast judgment, the shortcoming is entirely my own. Surely, refined beauties like these have a higher calling than the likes of such a humble beverage.  Next time I will find a more worthy cause for them. In any case though, they provided some welcome relief as I waited out old man winter’s last hurrah.

Meyer Lemonade

Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook

2 1/2 cups water

1 1/2 cups meyer lemon juice

3/4 cup turbinado or raw sugar

1 teaspoon lemon peel 

Create a simple syrup by simmering the sugar and water in a small pan over medium heat until the granules are completely dissolved. Stir occasionally. Remove from heat and let cool. Add juice and lemon peel to the simple syrup and allow to sit for 5 minutes. Strain off pulp and lemon peel and refrigerate.

To serve, combine equal parts of the lemon mixture and water over ice.