Fruit Maven » Lemon http://fruitmaven.com Your guide through the wild world of fruit. Thu, 24 Jun 2010 15:07:50 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 en hourly 1 Minty Blowfish – Kiwano Cocktail http://fruitmaven.com/2010/02/minty-blowfish-kiwano-cocktail/ http://fruitmaven.com/2010/02/minty-blowfish-kiwano-cocktail/#comments Fri, 19 Feb 2010 22:00:06 +0000 Fruit Maven http://fruitmaven.com/?p=1962 If you are a regular reader of Fruit Maven (and you memorize all my ratings and reviews so you can recite them to your friends at parties), you may recall that I am not the biggest fan of the Kiwano Melon. It’s a total rockstar fruit to look at but completely dull and annoying to actually eat. So I was determined to figure out how to make this little blowfish fruit a party pleaser. And wa-la! It hit me — cocktail of course! So I started with one of my favorite recipes - the French 75 and doctored it up with kiwano melon and mint. This cocktail has a very grown up flavor, which is the perfect counterpoint to the ridiculousness of the “cup” I put it in.  You host a party with this cocktail and it just screams CONFIDENCE. You’ll be getting promoted and hi-fiving people in your new corner office in no time.

kiwano-cocktail
Minty Blowfish
  • 1/2  kiwano melon
  • 3 mint leaves
  • 2 ounces gin (Hendricks is excellent for this)
  • 1/2 ounce fresh squeezed lemon juice (or about half a lemon)
  • Ice cubes
  • Champagne
  1. Slice Kiwano Melon in half. Take a knife and cut around the edges of the melon between the peel and the flesh. Use a spoon to scoop out the flesh and place in cocktail shaker. Set aside the melon half.
  2. Add the mint leaves and muddle vigorously (muddle way more than you think – those little gelatin pods are not that interested in giving up their juice. MUDDLE!).
  3. Add gin and lemon juice.
  4. Shake with ice and strain in to melon half, or use a martini glass if you are too prissy to hold a prickly cup.
  5. Top with champagne.
  6. Garnish with lemon or kiwano slice.
]]> http://fruitmaven.com/2010/02/minty-blowfish-kiwano-cocktail/feed/ 2 Rangpur Lime http://fruitmaven.com/2010/01/rangpur-lime/ http://fruitmaven.com/2010/01/rangpur-lime/#comments Sun, 10 Jan 2010 23:56:03 +0000 Fruit Maven http://fruitmaven.com/?p=1351 If your favorite part of Scooby Doo was when the villain would be unmasked to be the kooky neighbor lady, then this is the fruit for you! Rangpur Limes
APPEARANCE 4 out of 5 stars

Looks identical to a tangerine – inside and out.

AROMA 4 out of 5 stars

Strong, floral and perfumy lime fragrance. Almost as complicated as the Kaffir lime.

TEXTURE 4.5 out of 5 stars

Juicy and luscious with very few seeds, if any.

TASTE 3.5 out of 5 stars

Extremely sour, distinct lemon-lime flavor with the slightest hint of tangerine (I concede this may be related to how it looks, but I did try it with my eyes closed just to check).

OVERALL 4 out of 5 stars

This lime is just crazy cool and the devious part of me aches to trick everyone I know into thinking it is a little, sweet tangerine. Oh how I wish these were around during Halloween. Have you noticed yet how much I mention Halloween? It’s not because I am obsessed with the holiday (although maybe a little bit), but more that I am constantly reminded of it. Who knew the world of fruit could be so crafty and clever?

FRUIT

Rangpur Lime

VARIETY

Unknown

PEAK

Winter

GROWN

Rancho Del Sol
Jamul, CA

PROVIDED BY

Specialty Produce
Specialty_Produce_logo

NOTES

Hilariously this “lime” isn’t a lime at all but actually a hybrid between a mandarin and a lemon. It is also known by the names: marmalade lime, canton lemon, mandarin lime and lemandarin. As you might imagine, “lemandarin” is my favorite and I intend to start going by lefruitmaven as often as possible (or at least when I’m not going by “Fruit Maven the Elder“).

RECIPES

Rangpur Lime Punch
Rangpur Lime Hummus (scroll down)

]]> http://fruitmaven.com/2010/01/rangpur-lime/feed/ 0 Sorrento Lemon http://fruitmaven.com/2010/01/sorrento-lemon/ http://fruitmaven.com/2010/01/sorrento-lemon/#comments Sun, 03 Jan 2010 04:48:56 +0000 Fruit Maven http://fruitmaven.com/?p=1261 If enjoy stuff like giving a baby a lemon and watching them make crazy faces, then this is the fruit for you! Sorrento Lemons
APPEARANCE 3.5 out of 5 stars

Looks like every common (Eureka) lemon you have ever seen in your life.

AROMA 4 out of 5 stars

Crazy strong and acidic, perfumy lemon scent.

TEXTURE 3.5 out of 5 stars

Tight, firm and juicy flesh.

TASTE 4.5 out of 5 stars

Nicely acidic, not overwhelmingly sour.

OVERALL 3.88 out of 5 stars

I can kind of eat this lemon straight. It just smells so good and I want to like it so much that I just keep digging my teeth into it. I’m not saying I could snack on it exactly, but I’m pretty into it. I want to start making lemon bars, lemon curd, lemon meringue pie, and limoncello. OR I could save myself the trouble and just keep sucking out the juice. I think you know what I will choose.

FRUIT

Lemon

VARIETY

Sorrento

PEAK

All Year

GROWN

Rancho Del Sol
Jamul, CA

PROVIDED BY

Specialty Produce
Specialty_Produce_logo

NOTES

I want to care about the history of lemons and the amalfi coast (gorgeous) and all sorts of lemony lore, but the truth is all I can think about is limoncello! Have you had limoncello? I’ve only had a super cheap version from the grocery store and I swear I could have licked the bottle it was so delicious. So when I found out that italian sorrento lemons are THE lemons to make it, I got off my lazy derriere and went to work.  No I did not go find grain alcohol. No I did not use the second best alternative, vodka.  I didn’t have it and while I would love some yummy lemony liquor I am not about to go get in the car and then drive to the store and then come home and make it. So I used what I had — gin!  Call me in a few weeks and I’ll let you know how it goes.  I. Can. Not. Wait. So yeah, you can probably call me tomorrow and I will have sampled it already because that’s just how I roll.

And for those of you that come for the fruit info: “In the 1956-57 season, California produced 11 million gallons of frozen lemon concentrate.” No, I don’t know why that particular year matters nor do I particularly care about frozen lemon concentrate, but if you readers demand facts, I provide them! You’re welcome.

]]> http://fruitmaven.com/2010/01/sorrento-lemon/feed/ 0 Variegated Pink Eureka Lemon http://fruitmaven.com/2009/11/variegated-pink-eureka-lemon/ http://fruitmaven.com/2009/11/variegated-pink-eureka-lemon/#comments Fri, 27 Nov 2009 04:11:01 +0000 Fruit Maven http://fruitmaven.com/?p=868 If you’ve been looking for a marketing angle to give you the edge over the lemonade stand down the street (“Lemonade Vegas Style!”), then this is the fruit for you! dsc_0980-small
APPEARANCE 4 out of 5 stars

Yellow and green variegated tiger stripes, with pale pink/peach flesh

AROMA 3.5 out of 5 stars

Acidic, lemony and floral

TEXTURE 2.5 out of 5 stars

Dense and tight bubbles of liquid, with medium juiciness

TASTE 3.5 out of 5 stars

Acidic, lemony and SOUR! but not quite as much as a common Eureka (grocery store) lemon. I would love to be able to go on about the lovely floral notes with hints of this and that, but I can’t get past the way my jaw seizes up and my eyes water at the extreme sourness.  It’s like getting hit in the nose with a cute little fruit. And who can be expected to smell flowers after getting punched like that?

OVERALL 3.38 out of 5 stars

I love love love how this lemon looks. I was hoping for a brighter pink color but I’ll take this whiz zinger of a lemony showgirl over a regular one any day. You can’t really eat this as a snack, but who cares – I’m such a sucker for fruit that looks dressed up for mardi gras or an evening at the annual zoo extravaganza. (What? Your zoo doesn’t party it up with an evening of disco balls and posted warnings “Things may fly, float, amaze and explode“? Mine does.)

FRUIT

Lemon

VARIETY

Pink Variegated Eureka

PEAK

Fall

GROWN

Farmer Steve Inc.
Ramona, CA

PURCHASED

Farmer’s Market

NOTES

You would think this would make really fun pink lemonade, but the juice is disappointingly yellow just like every other lemon. Maybe there is some other cool pink lemon out there that can fulfill my lemony dreams. Oh citrus world -please don’t let me down.

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