“Lemon tree, very pretty, and the lemon flower is sweet”…the old song is ringing in my head. I guess that really dates me, huh?  A Peter, Paul and Mary song from the 60’s. You can have Trini Lopez serenade you here, while you read the rest of the blog.The beauty of Priscilla and Aaron’s lemon tree is what has really stuck in my head. How glorious to have a constant supply of lemons in your back yard. While winter is the most prolific season for fruit, they can bear all year, often with flowers on the tree at the same time as fruit…a bit unusual in the fruit tree world.

So…what to do with all those lemons? Lemonade is the first answer that comes to mind. The juice can be extracted and frozen for future use. Priscilla’s mother combines the juice of 10 lemons with 1 cup sugar and freezes it in small zip bags, to be diluted with water to taste. Preserved lemons with salt is a wonderful ingredient in Middle Eastern and Moroccan cuisine (a blog in the works), and lemons can even be used to clean your copper pots! Cut one in half, dip in kosher salt, and get to work on that tarnished cookware.

Long ago I visited the Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill, Kentucky. For dessert, at the inn, we were served lemon pie. Not your usual pie with meringue, but a double crusted pie with thin slices of lemon, rind and all, in a custard…oh my…now my mouth is watering, and I will need to make that again soon! …another blog….

As for me???  I forgot to pick some lemons to bring home. So off to the market where I’m sure I purchased California lemons. (They produce about 25% of the world market.) With my trusty little seltzer maker at the ready, I created strawberry lemonade that was not too sweet and very fizzy…A sunny taste of California on a dreary 2 degree day in Galena!  Ahhh….when can I go back?

Kids will love the lemonade with a pink color. My grand daughter likes anything pink!   A good alternative to commercial sodas.

Pink Lemonade


Serves 4
Prep time: 10 minutes

1/2 cup frozen strawberries in sugar syrup
1/2 cup lemon juice
3 cups seltzer water, or still water, if you prefer

Place the thawed strawberries in a blender and puree until smooth. Add the lemon juice and whirl to combine. Place 1/4 cup juice blend  in each glass and add 3/4 cup selzer and Ice.

Serves  4 fizzy glasses