Meyer Lemon-Cranberry Cornmeal Muffins

just think of lemons...

Meyer Lemon-Cranberry Cornmeal Muffins.

I had a friend growing up whose mother used to tell her, whenever things were a little less than perfect, to "just think of lemons." As angsty, jerky teenagers we found this advice more amusing than helpful. But now, as a marginally functional grown up, I'm finding that it actually works. While I do love a good "I'm not leaving the house at all" snow day, winter as a whole bums me out. It gets dark at 3:30 in the afternoon, the car is frozen shut every other morning and my toes are numb and frozen pretty much always. When Meyer lemon season starts things feel a little bit (metaphorically) warmer. 

So when life gives you a seemingly endless frozen tundra, 

think of lemons.

And when life gives you lemons, make muffins.

Or, as a wise man from Minnesota once said, paint that shit gold. 

Cranberry-Meyer Lemon Muffins

(makes approximately 15 muffins)

1/2c all purpose flour

1c whole wheat flour

3/4c cornmeal
2/3c organic sugar
1tbsp baking powder
1tsp baking soda
1/2tsp salt
1tbsp apple cider vinegar
1.5tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2c halved fresh (or frozen) cranberries
1/4c raw walnut pieces (optional)
2tsp grated meyer lemon zest
1c unsweetened non-dairy milk
1/4c meyer lemon juice
1/4c canola (or other neutral) oil

1/2Tbsp extra sugar for dusting tops of muffins

Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Line muffin tin with paper liners.

Measure out 1 1/2c of cranberries, cut each in half, toss in a small bowl, set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl combine flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt
and 1/3c of the sugar, whisk to combine.
Add the remaining 1/3c of sugar and 2 tbsp of the dry flour mix to the cranberries and toss gently until cranberries are well coated.
Stir in 1 1/2tsp of the lemon zest.Add non-dairy milk, lemon juice, vinegar, oil and vanilla extract to flour mix.
Stir until well combined.
Add in walnut pieces.

GENTLY fold cranberries into wet mix.
If using fresh, be more aggressive, but the frozen will bleed.

Fill muffin liners 2/3 full and shake pan gently to distribute.
Sprinkle the tops of each muffin with a pinch of sugar and reserved 1/2tsp lemon zest.
Bake for 12-15 minutes, until tops are light golden brown and
tester inserted into the center comes out clean.

Dehydrated Meyer Lemons

Alas, citrus season is brief. Preserve, preserve, preserve!

Dehydrated Meyer Lemons

Dehydrated Meyer lemon slices, ready for all sorts of culinary goodness.

Being well stocked with Meyer lemons during the winter months makes me a bit giddy; they have such a brief season and, especially for us here in the northeast, getting your hands on some is like unearthing culinary gold. But how to preserve that gorgeous flavor for the off-season? Many methods have been tried here in the Slow Club kitchen, preserved Meyer lemons (recipe here), frozen juice, candied peels, dried zest, but until last weekend I'd never tried the dehydrator.

Dehydrator tray lined with freshly sliced Meyer lemons. 

As it often does, inspiration struck during the imbibing of spirits. In my hand was a lemon garnished cocktail and I thought "Argh! Why can't I have Meyer lemons in my drinks all damn year round??" or something to that effect... The answer? Break out the trusty dehydrator! Imagine these beautiful little slices jazzing up your favorite cocktail, zesting (yes, pun intended) up your morning tea or a seasonal fruit dish, flavoring summer fruit preserves or even ground into powder and added to baked goods.

Oh the possibilities! Plus they look beautiful in a jar in your pantry shelf, always a nice bonus. Three lemons filled 2 trays of my dehydrator nicely. You can obviously dehydrate more/ less to your preference. Lemons or other citrus fruits can also be oven dried, though they will not have as long of a shelf life.
Some helpful tips on oven drying via Saving The Season can be found here.

Jarred up and ready for use or pantry storage.

Dehydrated 
Meyer Lemons

Meyer lemons, scrubbed 

and sliced 1/4" thick

Slice lemons and place in a single layer directly on dehydrator trays.

Dehydrate at 135 degrees for about 16 hours.
 Once lemons are dry, store in an airtight container in a cool, dark place.

Make sure lemons have completely dried before storing.
If any moisture remains, they could mold or spoil. 

Quick tip: save moisture absorbing silica packets leftover from other dried packaged foods (they often come in things like seaweed snacks and rice crackers) and pop them into the jar before sealing. This will keep your lemons and other homemade dehydrated foods crisp and fresh infinitely longer. 

Preserved Meyer Lemons

Making Up For Lost Time:
Preserved Meyer Lemons
and
Smokey Preserved Meyer Lemon Dressing

Meyer lemons, washed, scrubbed and ready for preserving.

Oh preserved lemons, where have you been all my life? I'd heard whispers of your existence, seen references to you in cookbooks and glossy food magazines, but never did I think it would be so easy to make you for myself . Yet here you are, after very little work on my part, in my fridge, waiting for me to add you into dishes and dressings whenever my little heart desires. You're the most glorious pickled food I've ever eaten. If only I had known sooner,
we could have had so much more time together .
*sigh*
Oh well, ever forward.

While most preserved lemon recipes call for traditional lemons, I decided to use the gorgeous Meyer lemons found at the grocery store this weekend. They're a bit pricier and a bit harder to come by, but every bit worth it. Meyers are almost indescribably wonderful. A cross between a traditional lemon and a mandarin orange, they have a sweeter nearly floral taste and are more vibrantly colored with a thinner skin than regular lemons. If you see them, stock up; they are only in season for a brief window, usually from December through April. I tend to hoard them whenever they're available, freezing the juice, candying the peels, drying the zest,
and of course, making preserved lemons.

Now you can add herbs to your lemons; a bay leaf, cinnamon stick, coriander, etc.,
or choose to leave your lemons relatively naked, adding only salt.
I go the naked route, having found that adding spices can muddle the
complex flavor of the lemon itself.

So here it is, my 
Making-Up-For-Lost-Time
Preserved Meyer Lemons Recipe

Meyer lemons, quartered with ends attached, topped with kosher salt.

You will need:
Sterilized 1qt jar with tightly fitting lid
8 -10 meyer lemons
1/2- 3/4c coarse kosher salt

Thoroughly wash your lemons then slice off each blossom end .
Cut each lemon into quarters, leaving attached at the base.


Open each lemon and sprinkle about 1 tbsp of salt over both the inside and skins.
Line the bottom of your jar with 1/4' of kosher salt .
Pack the salted lemons into the jar, squishing them down with your hand
until the juice rises up enough to cover them.

Jarred salted meyers, ready to top with lemon juice.

If there is not enough juice to cover add some extra.
Sprinkle a Tbsp of salt over the top and tightly seal the jar.
Leave out at room temperature for 2-3 days.
Transfer jar to refrigerator and allow to sit for another 3-4 weeks.
You can turn the jar upside down on occasion to distribute the liquid more evenly.
Once the rinds have softened your preserved lemons are ready to use.
These will keep in the fridge for at least a year.

To use your preserved lemons:
Remove a segment from the jar, rinse under cold water to remove excess salt, remove flesh from the peel,
then chop or mince as much of the peel as your recipe calls for.
Any unused portion of the whole lemon can
be returned the the jar.


Simple Smokey Preserved Lemon Vinaigrette
1/2c olive oil
1/4c apple cider vinegar
1tbsp finely minced preserved lemon rind
1 tsp finely minced garlic
1 tsp smoked salt (you can use a regular sea salt instead,
but the smoky flavor is amazing, so seek out smoked salt if you can)
pepper to taste

In a medium bowl whisk vinegar, garlic, and minced preserved lemon rind, and salt together.
Slowly add in olive oil, whisking until thickened.
Add pepper to taste, whisking to incorporate.

This is a perfect green salad dressing but also rocks the house over any fresh
chopped veggie/bean/grain salad you can think of.

Jarred preserved lemons, ready for adding to any recipe your little heart desires.