Meyer Lemons vs. Regular Lemons
Lemons, in general, are perhaps one of the most widely used fresh flavoring ingredients in the world of culinary arts. As a matter of fact, lemons can be of great use in every cooking method and process from baking, to cooking meat and vegetables, to sauce making. Lemons can easily enhance the citrusy and tangy flavor of a dish, and add a bright and delicious aroma. They are also capable of intensifying the flavors of other ingredients put into a dish; they are known to be catalysts for flavor. This means that a lemon can interact with one’s taste buds and in effect the succeeding flavors that a person tastes will be more enhanced and stronger. Regular lemons like the Eureka and Lisbon lemons may be most popular and commonly used in normal household but there also exists another classification for this citrus fruit, the Meyer lemons. How do Meyer lemons differ from the classic and regular lemons? Read on below to know more about Meyer lemons
Appearance and Taste of Meyer and Regular Lemons
One easy trait to notice when comparing a regular lemon to a Meyer lemon are its physical characteristics. Meyer lemons are much more orange in color. Their texture is also much smoother and they have a more sphere-like shape. Meyers do not have thorns on their stems, and they do have resistance to cold. When it comes to taste, regular lemons and Meyer lemons can also be distinctive from each other. Meyer lemons usually have a less sweet taste than a regular lemon and a weaker flavoring. Furthermore, the zest quality of Meyer lemon is not actually as good as the zest of the more common Lisbon and Eureka lemons.
Both the regular and Meyer lemons can be beneficial in some tasks such as cleaning the house or increasing the flavors of the culinary dishes. But it would be important to note that these two cannot replace each other because of certain differences they have, such as the yield in juice and the quality of taste. Basically, Meyer lemons can provide more juice than common lemons. Moreover, Meyers taste ‘flowery’ or more floral.
Meyer vs Regular Lemons in Dishes
If one will use a Meyer lemon instead of the more common kind of this fruit for any recipe where lemons are needed, it should be done carefully. Otherwise, there can be significant changes in the originally anticipated taste of the dish. For example, if a certain recipe requires one lemon, one should know that a single Meyer lemon fruit can yield one and a half cups of juice. For savory and flavorful dishes, the sweetness of Meyers can affect the overall taste of the cooked dish. However, the natural sweetness of Meyer lemons can make lemon bars or ice creams more delicious and scrumptious. It is necessary for someone interested to use Meyer lemons in cooking to know their differences from regular kinds of lemons, so as to avoid unexpected surprises on the final flavor of the dish.
Summary:
Meyer lemons are much more orange in color than regular lemons.
The texture of Meyer lemons are also much smoother and they have a more sphere-like shape than regular lemons.
When it comes to taste, regular lemons and Meyer lemons can also be distinctive from each other.
Meyer lemons usually have less sweet taste than regular lemons and a weaker flavoring.
Both the regular and Meyer lemons can be beneficial in some tasks such as cleaning the house or increasing the flavors of the culinary dishes.