Tag: lemons

March 13

~ coronet22 ~ 1 Comment

The Americans are very keen on the aphorism “If life gives you lemons, make lemonade”

My British version is “If life gives you lemons, make lemon curd”

I think the crop from our two Central London trees was surprisingly large and it was only when I juiced the first that the 1950’s Peter,Paul and Mary song came to mind.

“Lemon tree very pretty and the lemon flower is sweet
But the fruit of the poor lemon is impossible to eat”

I decided the hard, green fruit would be fine in lemon curd as the sour lemon flavour has to fight its way through so much sugar.

I had to make it in three batches as I never know whether a recipe will double or treble and the final yield was a mere three jars. Problem is, it tastes so divine, we will have to battle hard not to spread it on everything!

Trisha and Amy, your jar will be handed over when we next get together.

I had a few rock hard lemons left over and was delighted to find a recipe for “candying” – “for use as snacks or cake decoration” the recipe said.. Well, let me tell you, you’d only snack on them or put them near a cake if you had a dentist in the family – preferably living in the same house, preferably in the same room. “The writer” is always very gallant about my culinary efforts but even he could only manage “Well the middle’s are very nice.” So the only thing they’ll be decorating is the bin.

Today, we met Trish, Tod and Peter in the park-purely by accident, of course- and, by a stroke of luck I happened to have with me their two jars of curd to hand over in exchange for yet more fabulous cheese straws and a nifty tube of hand-sanitiser and hand – cream combined. We chatted for half an hour in the biting wind and then had to concede defeat.

Since then, I’ve had an enthusiastic email from Amy and this from Tod:

I confess I’ve never thought of eating it on cake!

January 7

~ coronet22 ~ 2 Comments

Having to skirt round yet another anti-lockdown protest during our most recent walk, and waking to the news that one in thirty Londoners has the virus and London NHS hospitals are two weeks from being overwhelmed, we have decided to keep off the streets until we are vaccinated. That means retreating to our terrace for exercise as we did in March last year.

I must admit, the prospect filled me with dread – not being able to stretch one’s legs properly and having no wildlife to enjoy – that is until I looked at our lemon tree for the first time since the Summer.

“The writer” is more cheerful pounding up and down our small, empty space than he has been lately walking gingerly in the park and so much of our time at the moment is spent glued to CNN and the goings on in the U.S., exercise anywhere is the last thing on our minds, as we sit, aghast, in front of the TV.

All I need now is a recipe for what to do with unripe lemons, as there are masses on the tree that I assume won’t get enough light to ripen. If anyone has a (polite) suggestion, please add it to the comment box.