Buy smaller, heavier pieces for more taste; bright peels can deceive

ERIN MCMANUS

Lemon Curd

5 large eggs
Juice of 3 large lemons
1 cup sugar
1 stick unsalted butter, melted and hot

COMBINE first three ingredients in blender. Drizzle in hot butter. Pour into double-boiler and cook over simmering water until thick, stirring constantly. Store in refrigerator.

TIP: If you don't own a rasp grater, zesting citrus is a great reason to purchase one. These fine graters were originally used in woodworking and will remove only the thinnest layer of colored peel without any of the underlying bitter pith. Citrus fruits are members of a large and varied family. They range in flavor from sour to tart to sweet, but they are all high in vitamin C.

With the flu season well under way, maybe we should all know a little more about citrus fruits.

They are native to Asia but are now grown around the world in tropical to temperate climates. In the U.S. they're grown commercially in Arizona, California, Florida, Louisiana and Texas.

When buying citrus, use your mind more than your eyes. Larger fruit often have less flavor than smaller and heavier fruit. Choose smaller oranges, lemons, limes or grapefruit that are heavy for their size.

Don't be fooled by the color of peel. Brightly colored oranges do not necessarily have the best flavor. The skin should be free of soft spots and the fruit should feel dense in the hand.

I have had some delicious oranges, grapefruit, tangerines and tangelos this winter.

Oranges are available all year, but they are at their best in winter. Right now, navel oranges are abundant and especially sweet.

Blood oranges are also available and are an interesting salad orange. The flesh is a vivid red-orange, and the juice adds bright color.

Tangerines are generally called Mandarin oranges in other parts of the world and include the Satsuma and Clementine varieties. They are a favorite for eating out of hand because their skins are easy to remove. I like to use tangerine zest in recipes calling for orange peel. The intense flavor stands up well to baking.

Tangelos are a hybrid of Mandarin oranges and grapefruit. They look like a small orange with a knob on top and are easy to peel and section, with no clinging white pith to make them bitter. They are also called Minneolas.

Ugli fruit is a grapefruit-Mandarin cross. It comes from Jamaica and looks like a big lumpy grapefruit, but its flavor is sweeter than grapefruit and it has a lot of juice. Uglis make delicious juice to drink on its own or mix to make cocktails.

Kumquats are the size and shape of a large olive and have a sweet skin and tart flesh. You just pop the whole thing in your mouth and eat it. (They usually contain two or three seeds, so spit those out.) In our area kumquats are usually available at Christmas and hard to find at other times. If you want a nice lemon zest flavor without zesting, try adding a sliced kumquat to your recipe.

Grapefruit are available in white and red or pink. Their varieties are equally sweet and are delicious to peel and eat. If you remove the membranes from each section as you eat them, they have an even sweeter flavor. Grapefruit make wonderful juice, and three colors of grapefruit in a salad are beautiful.

Limes are generally available all year round. There are two main varieties of limes. Persian limes are about the size and shape of lemons and have thin green skins. Small brown spots on the skin do not affect the flavor.

Key limes are closer to the shape of ping pong balls and have pale yellow-green skins. They produce a small amount of intensely flavored juice and are essential in making true key lime pie. They have a short season.

Lemons are one of the most popular fruits. The peel gives foods a bright burst of flavor, and the juice is used to sweeten, brighten or add tartness. When I cook chicken for chicken salad, I add a lemon half to the water to add flavor to the meat

Meyer lemons are a cross between regular lemons and oranges or Mandarins. They are rounder in shape than true lemons and have a thin smooth skin which takes on an orangeish hue when really ripe. They have a less acidic flavor than true lemons and a complex floral flavor and aroma. They make delicious lemonade and are great for cooking and baking.

For a treat, make lemon curd. It's a versatile custard made with fresh lemon juice that can be used as a filling for cakes, a spread for sweet breads or a base for fruit tarts. Spoon it over berries for a delicious dessert or mix it with whipped cream for a fruit dip or fruit salad dressing. Enjoy!

Source: http://www.charlotte.com/280/story/486828.html