The co-op had some beautiful Meyer lemons the other day and I couldn’t resist buying a few, especially since I had never bought them before. I never knew what to do with them thus I never bought them. Now I know! I used one of the lemons in place of preserved lemons in my Capellini with lemon, garlic and egg pasta dish. It was very good, better than regular lemons but not as good as using preserved lemons. So what do I do with the other lemons? The weather helped me answer that question. We have finally warmed up to near record highs and the spring winds have started to blow; therefore, something cool and refreshing sounded good, thus – a Meyer Lemon Sherbet.
I’ve made lemon sherbet before, but this one, I have to say was quite different. To make sure that I wasn’t just imagining such a significant difference, I made another sherbet using the same recipe but with regular lemons. Nope – it was not my imagination. The lemon sherbet was VERY tart and lemony, and definitely needed more sugar or a sweet topping to help relax the mouth from the pucker spasm it went into with every bite. However, the Meyer lemon sherbet had the right balance of sweetness and tartness, and the flavor – more fruity and tropical than citrusy and tart. It was SOOOO good!
The huge difference in flavor between Meyer lemon and regular lemon really got me curious so I did a little research and what I found out was that the Meyer is more than a lemon. The Meyer lemon is thought to be a hybrid that was developed in China and is a cross between a lemon and a mandarin or some other type of orange. I can believe that. It definitely has the sweetness of an orange mixed in with the tanginess of a lemon. I will definitely be buying more!
Meyer Lemon Sherbet
Meyer lemon sherbet has the right balance of sweetness and tartness, and the flavor – more fruity and tropical than citrusy and tart. The mixture should set overnight in the fridge then freeze in ice cream maker for a better setting.
Reader feedback: “The flavor was so light and creamy – divine!”
*See Kitchen Notes for more information.
- 2 cup milk or milk substitute*
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- Lemon zest from 2 Meyer lemons
- ¼ tsp. agar* (optional)
- ½ cup Meyer lemon juice (juice from 2 to 3 lemons depending on the size)
Heat the milk and sugar in a pot over a medium low heat, stirring occasionally.
- When the milk gets hot and starts to foam on top, add the vanilla extract and agar. Stir to incorporate. Continue stirring for 1 minute (reduce heat if the milk starts to boil), and then remove from the heat.
- Add the lemon zest.
- Let cool. Refrigerate overnight.
- The next day, right before pouring into the ice cream maker, add the lemon juice and stir.
- Transfer to the ice cream maker and freeze according to instructions.
Sorbet vs. sherbet vs. ice cream – Normally, I make sorbet because it’s lower in calories and has no dairy, not that I can’t eat dairy, I just try to minimize it. Sorbets are primary fruit juice/puree’ and a sweetener. Sherbets are fruit juice/puree’ and some milk. Typically, sherbets have a lower percent of butterfat than ice cream – less than 3% vs. up to 15%, respectively.
Milk:Meyer lemon juice – I used a ratio of 4 to 1, 2% milk to lemon juice. This ratio was just right for 1/3 cup sugar; however, if you decide to change the ratio to say – 3 to 2, then I would suggest increasing the sugar to at least 1/2 cup.
Milk or Milk Substitute – You can use whole milk or 2%. A good substitute is original unsweetened almond. Rice milk is NOT a good substitute as it is too thin.
Meyer Lemon juice vs. regular lemon juice – You can use regular lemons in this recipe; however, you should definitely increase the sugar to at least 1/2 cup unless you like a really, really tart sherbet.
Agar – Agar is a gelling agent derived from red algae and is sometimes used in place of gelatin. I added 1/4 teaspoon to help create a little creamier texture and it worked. Having made this with and without it, the sherbet with the agar was indeed a little creamier. Be careful not to add too much agar because your mixture could set overnight in the fridge and you would have a pudding the next day when you go to churn.
Meyer lemon recipes that caught my eye:
Savory dishes
Creamy Meyer Lemon Pasta @Juanita’s Cocina
Creamy Meyer Lemon Pasta with Homemade Ricotta and Broccoli @The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen
Sweet Treats
Meyer Lemon Pound Cake @Just One Cookbook
Meyer Lemon Parfaits @Cravings of a Lunatic
Meyer Lemon Curd @The Galley Gourmet
Meyer Lemon Ricotta Cookies @A Culinary Journey with Chef Dennis
The drinks to enjoy them all with:
Maple Meyer Lemon Whiskey Sour @Healthy Seasonal Recipes
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Totally delicious! I appreciated the ‘science’ bit towards the bottom as it confirmed what I thought that my juice of 2 lemons wasn’t enough for the 4:1 ratio so I juiced a third. The flavor was so light and creamy – divine! We are dairy free but almond milk worked beautifully. Perfection in chocolate waffle cones. Highly recommend!
Tessah, thank you so much for your feedback! You made my day! 🙂 Good to know the almond milk worked. My husband and I are trying to reduce our dairy consumption and have switched to almond milk. Still having a problem eliminating cheese. 🙂 I’ll try almond in this next time.
I’m thrilled you enjoyed the sherbet and the recipe. Hope to hear from you again.
Hey there! Do you use Twitter? I’d like to follow you if that would
be okay. I’m definitely enjoying your blog and look forward to new updates.
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What a refreshing sherbet recipe! Saving this for the first sign of spring around here…
Delicious sherbet, It is hard for me to finish one bowl I need more bowl of treat yumm.
Thanks for sharing with Hearth and Soul blog Hop.
Your sherbet looks absolutely delicious. I was interested to learn about Meyer lemons being a hybrid variety of lemon, I didn’t realise that. Also thank you for sharing the links to the other Meyer lemon recipes. We don’t get Meyer lemons in the UK yet, but I’m hopeful that we will soon 🙂
I love the sound of this lemon sherbet! It looks fabulous! I’ll definitely be trying this one soon.
This is fabulous. I love meyer lemons. I have 3 bags on the go right now.
I’m doing a meyer lemon week. Would love to include you in the round up.
Thanks Kim!!! I’d love for you to return the favor and include me in your round up! Thanks!
Meyer lemons have finally shown up at my market and I keep eyeing them but I’m not quite sure what to do with them. Thanks for all the resources! The sherbet looks delicious, I love all those little yellow flecks.
MJ, we live so far but seem to have the same desserts ideas at the same time: I also crave light refreshing tangy desserts now, even though it’s only spring, not summer heat yet! Anyway, your sherbet looks gorgeous. I love the way it contrasts with the black bowl. Very dramatic (I must remember this since I have many black bowls).
Meyer lemons are probably the only fruit I envy when I read US blogs. They sound like a fruit which would become my staple… I hope I will be able to taste them one day.
By the way, I have always thought that sherbet=French sorbet (i.e. sugar and fruits, without dairy). One lives and learns…
Thanks Sissi for ALL of your great comments! Like you, I do like huge contrasts! 🙂 I too hope that some day you get to taste a Meyer. I’m sure you could order them on-line somewhere. You can order pretty much anything on line nowadays. It’s fun teaching each other new things, isn’t it? I’ve learned a lot from you my friend!
Love meyer lemons and sherbet! So springy!
Hi MJ! I am so happy I ate only one of my Meyers today (yes the whole thing, all by itself !). I’ll try the sherbet tomorrow. Thanks for the recipe! Happy spring! Mary
Mary – it always makes my day when I hear from you! I need to try eating a meyer like an orange. I would gain a whole new appreciation for them I’m sure. Thanks for the comment and hope you and Mark enjoy the sherbet!
MJ, your lemon sherbet looks heavenly. It reminds me of spring and sweet summer days – light, love, and levity… amazing how evocative food can be! I like when I can make an ice cream or sherbet without the need for special equipment too. Interesting how different the flavour is between the regular lemons and meyer. I do love tart lemon desserts but it sounds like the prior recipe was over the top tart – yours does not strike me as excessive in the sugar department – just right. I have to give your meyer version a try. By the way, love the snap of the melting sherbet…gorgeous!
Thanks Kelly! Yes, the real lemons were a bit tart with only 1/3 cup sugar, but 1/2 cup should work. I was quite surprised as to the difference between the flavors of the two types of lemons. Some people apparently eat meyers like oranges. I might have to try that. 🙂 It’s amazing how the last shot you take of the day when the ice cream has melted, the food has gotten cold – turns out to be one of your best. 🙂
You’re genius to come with this low cal treat! Bookmarked….
Beautiful Sherbet…
I am seeing so many meyer lemons recipes … this looks fabulous..
I have to get meyer lemons soon… My hubby will love this.
Sigh 🙁 no meyer lemons in this part of the world…..MJ the last pic on the scoop is soooo tempting…..it is so hot here that I wish I could have this to cool me down….
Glad it’s warm there. It seems we are waiting for spring a little longer, but how refreshing would this e to remind us to hang in there?
Hah..you didn’t buy Meyer lemons cause you didn’t know what to do with them…and here I am with piles of recipes to be tried out but no Meyer lemons in India…sigh..and you are adding more salt to my woes by posting 10 yummy recipes and that melting sherbet picture….not fair..MJ.
Ohhhhhh – I’m sorry Sanjeeta! 🙂 Wish I could send you some lemons. Thanks so much for you comments and hope you are having a great week!
MJ….what a beautiful sherbet! I LOVE meyer lemons and I have a little tree which I got last spring. I managed not to kill it as I brought it inside for the winter. I just hope it gives me some lemons this year! Thanks so much for the shout out on the madeleines! And that last picture….the ice cream in the scooper….is GORGEOUS!
Thanks Anne! I’m jealous that you have a lemon tree! Obviously it’s in a pot if you have it inside. That’s a great idea for a young tree. I hope you get some lemons this year! You are most welcome!
My grocery store still does not have Meyer lemons…..UGH!!! I haven’t found blood oranges or Meyer lemons, makes me sad. Sherbet is my favorite, your recipe looks wonderful! I love all the Meyer lemon recipes you shared, now I need to find some ASAP! Hugs, Terra
Thanks Terra! Yes, you do need to find some of both – meyer and blood – before they go out of season. No problem getting our Vitamin C fix this time of year.
Wow!! So yummy, MJ!! Wonderful pictures!!
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Meyer Lemon ice cream. I don’t think there could be a better flavor! Looks and sounds wonderful.
I know it is getting cold in here now but I would love to have this anytime
I just bought a bag of Meyer lemons but I don’t have an ice cream maker. I’ll have to check out some of the recipes that caught your eye…then I think I need to go shopping for an ice cream maker.
Thanks Karen! I would say in surprise “You don’t have an ice cream maker?”, but then I don’t have a slow cooker. We all have our priorities. 🙂
Peach Lady, I must have missed your pasta dish – it looks delish – and I had to look up what meyer lemons actually are. Wow! I keep learning from you.
When Brynn lived in her apartment in Burbank there was a Meyer Lemon tree in her yard. For the longest we didn’t know what it was. At first they look like a lemon, but as they mature they look more like an orange. They were so good you could eat them like an orange and they made exceptional lemonade because you didn’t have to add much sugar. This sherbert looks sooo good. If the heat so far is any indication, it’s going to be a hot summer so we’re going to need ways to keep cool. I guess I’m going to have to break down and get an ice cream maker. I started to buy an old one at a flea market like we used to have growing up, but Jim said “no way.” Getting a little cranky in his old age, but not enough to crank an ice cream churn. Oh well, that’s what electricity is for.
Really? Brynn had a meyer lemon tree? I’m jealous! I think you all would love this sherbet so I hope you get a chance to make it. I debating whether to get an electric ice maker. The one I have now is the original donvier ice cream maker. It’s a hand crank and makes only 3 cups which is actually enough for the two of us. You do need to be able to put the insert in the freezer overnight which might be a problem with your freezer. 🙂
Oooo, I could definitely use a spoonful of this sherbet. It looks delicious! I need to find me some meyer lemons.
It must smell and taste heavenly! I love the flavor of lemon in sweets!
Meyer lemons you’re saying. I want this sorbet so much. Hopefully it will turn out well with a regular ones as well.
This is so lovely! I also make sorbet with fruits, but now I’m thinking I need to make sherbet and I so love the flavor of meyer lemons. Thanks for including my link too!
Thank you Susan! And you are most welcome! I love the look of your pasta dish!
Meyer lemons are just the best. Unfortunatley my little lemon tree only hs 4 lemons on it this year… so we have to buy them. I think I like lemon flavours better than chocolate!
Thanks Carole! I’m sorry you only have 4 lemons. I hate it when that happens. I use to have fruit trees and was sad during the years that we had few to no fruit. I, too love the lemon flavor. Not sure if I like it better than chocolate though. 🙂
Your sorbet is gorgeous!!! And love all these lemony treats! I need to see if I can find Meyer lemons before they’re gone 🙂
Yes, yes, yes! I need to go back to the store now! For more Meyers!
Thank you so much for including me in your post!
We hardly ever see Meyer lemons here so I was glad to read that you tried the recipe with regular lemons and it was just as good. It will come in handy this summer when I buy an ice cream maker. I didn’t know Meyer lemons were a hybrid, that explains a lot. Thanks for sharing MJ!
Thanks Nancy! Sounds like Meyer lemon aren’t found in Europe. Your the second European to mention that. Yes, regular lemons work, just be sure to increase the sugar.
Never heard of meyer lemons :O. Something totally new for me :). Will try to do it with the usual yellow ones we have in local shop. The ice cream looks awesome 😛
Thank you Kadri! Meyer lemon can’t be found in all grocery stores and apparently some countries. I’ve seen them once in a while, but until now, haven’t bought them. This recipe does work with regular lemons but be sure to increase the sugar amount. Taste before freezing.
I always get excited about Meyer lemon season. They are just sublime–and I’m sure this sherbet is too!
I love Meyer lemons but they’re extremely difficult to get here! Love the ice cream and the use of agar agar.
MJ, this is a perfect recipe for the start of spring!
I love Meyer lemons and this time of year when they are in season! Thanks for all these tasty recipes, especially the sherbet. 🙂
Ahhhhhh! I *just* finished the whole bunch of Meyer lemons yesterday, making 3 batches of Meyer Lemon Curd to give away to my friends (one for me). I have to go find more Meyer Lemons to make this sherbet. Geez, looks so good, and I can even imagine the flavor looking at the pic. So nice of you to include my pound cake MJ! Thank you for your kindness. 🙂 Pinning!
Thanks Nami! Oh – meyer lemon curd! That sounds yummy! Hopefully you’ll be posting your recipe. As you can see I have a whole list of recipes to make, so I guess adding a curd to the list won’t hurt. 🙂
Mmmm…I could have two big scoops of your sherbet to summon spring right now! We are having the extreme March Madness up north, so dinner is often hot & spicy foods, and I like to finish it off with a nice refreshing dessert. Thanks MJ for a great spring-spiration dessert! Gotta swing by the nearest co-op (still pretty far), but for the meyer lemon sake!
Thanks Reese! I heard that you guys were still in winter up north. Makes me even more thankful that I live in the southwest. 🙂 Meyer lemon sake? Oh – that sounds good! I’ll have to keep an eye out for that!
I love meyer lemons so no wonder the recipe was so much better with 🙂
Great looking sherbert! I’ve never had a Meyer lemon one, and I’ll bet it’s great. Odd that I haven’t had this, though, since we used to have a Meyer lemon tree when we lived in Florida. The juice is sweet enough that you can drink it unsweetened – something you could never do with a regular lemon. Meyer lemon is wonderful in lightly textured baked goods – think madeleines or sponge cake. Anyway, good post – thanks.
You had a meyer lemon tree and have never used one? Well, shame on you John. At least I didn’t have that excuse. 🙂 Well, now that I’ve tried them, I’m sure I’ll be using them a lot more! Thanks John!
So many people are making marvelous things with meyer lemons these days and I don’t have any. Gosh your sherbet looks good!
Looks wonderful…funny I baked a rice cake with lemon this week. I’ve got lemon on my mind too.
Thanks Diane! It’s definitely lemon season!
I just bought some Meyer lemons yesterday. I’m going to make a batch of Limoncello with them. I wish we could get Meyers year-round. Lemon sorbet/ice is a great refresher in Summer. I like that your recipe here makes a small amount, relatively speaking. Makes portion control more likely, at least in my house. Thanks, MJ, for sharing your recipe.
Thanks John! Oh – Limoncello! That sounds SO good! I buy Limoncello at World Market all of the time. Can’t wait to see your recipe. I too wish I could get Meyer lemons year round, but I guess we just have to enjoy them when we can find them. With just the two of us, most everything I make is in small amounts, plus I have one of those original hand cranked small ice cream makers and it only holds 3 cups. 🙂
Well…I learned something new today. I have seem Meyer Lemons but never took the time to figure out what the heck they are. They are also for sale at Azure Standard, (I think), where I get a lot of our groceries. I’ll have to order them and try out this recipe! Thanks, MJ!!
Thanks Michelle! I’m like you – I’ve seen them for years, but just didn’t know what to do with them. Now I have a host recipes that I want to make with them.
Very refreshing and delicious!
That is beautiful! And thanks for the plug! 🙂
You are most welcome and thank you! I do plan to make your chicken dish!
Would it be wrong of me to eat the ice cream right out of the scoop! Wow…that looks like one luscious and creamy dreamy ice cream. I love in anything lemon… but ice cream sherbet… you are talking to me with this one. 🙂
Absolutely not!! I ate a lot from the scoop. In fact, the scoop you see here on the plate did NOT go back in the bowl. 🙂 Thanks Ramona!
Whata a wonderful sherbet. I didn’t know anything about Meyer lemons, but now thanks to you and Nami I do know them.
I never saw them here in Italy, but I’d love to make a sherbet like this, maybe with “plain” lemon (here we have Sorrento lemons, that are amazing)!
Hugs
Thank Giulia! I’ve never heard of Sorrento lemons. Will have to look them up. I guess meyer lemons are just found in Asian countries and the northern hemisphere. Not sure why you don’t get them in Europe. If you use regular lemons, be sure to increase the sugar. Taste before you freeze. Hope you’re having a wonderful week my friend!