A Zingy Harvest

Way back in June, I was intrigued by the idea of growing a citrus plant.  So I brought home an Improved Meyer Lemon from the nursery.  You can click here to see it when the fruit was small and green.

Watching these small orbs begin to ripen was thrilling!  Despite being tempted to leave the fruit to cheer up the room I couldn't resist putting at least some of them to use.  For something quite small they certainly pack a lot of juice and made the kitchen smell like summer.

My Lemon Drizzle cake turned out moist and oh so zingy.  I couldn't have been more proud.  My thoughts are already branching out...perhaps Key Lime pie next January?

A Zest for Lemons

Once I set eyes on the lemon tree in Ysolda's (a knitwear designer) flat I knew it was a plant I wanted to try growing in my own home.  I previously thought they were something that would only grow in warmer climates but became suspicious when I spied loads of them in plant boxes in the serene back garden of the Victoria & Albert Museum.

The Meyer Lemon is native to China and thought to be a cross between a lemon and a mandarin orange.  The skin is a little thinner than a regular lemon so zesting won't actually yield very much.  The thrill for me will be in watching these little oblong green fruits become bright yellow over the course of goodness knows how long.  It has become a cheery daily ritual to pour a cup of tea and 'visit' my lemons and as you can see...Deacon is always right there to supervise.