A few weeks back, when the growers market started up on Tuesdays again, I got a message from Glenda Ponder who owns Abby Lane Farm. She said that they were bringing all the citrus they grew to the market and included a picture of all the varieties.

As a chef who happened to grow up in Silicon Valley with all the citrus growing and falling into yards, streets, and parks I was very eager to be the first one to the first market to be reunited with those memories.  We have been using the fresh zest in weeks past along with the juice to season some courses. After three weeks the preserve is ready to be applied.

Preserved Meyer lemons are prepared in many different recipes from around the world. Our recipe is salt, sugar, mirin and chili. These are combined and then packed with the whole Meyer lemons in a glass jar and left to sit. Over time the salt and sugar begin to weep out the juice from the lemons, ultimately submerging them in their own juice and preserving them for an indefinite amount of time. I think the resulting flavor is like perfect lemonade, such an iconic flavor.