In it's prime...

February marks the peak, as well as the nearing end of citrus season. So now is the time to get your hands on these treats while they're still around. Of course regular oranges, lemons and limes are ubiquitous and nothing to jump up and down about, but there are special citrus varieties that are only available for a couple of months each year. 

This week I went out on a mission: to track down Meyer lemons and Blood oranges, and begin to preserve them so I can enjoy them beyond the next few weeks when they'll begin to disappear from the market shelves.

Here's what I found:

Starting from the top left corner, going clockwise: Tarocco Blood orange, Morro Blood orange and Meyer lemons in two sizes.

The Tarocco comes directly from Sicily, the birthplace of blood oranges. It lacks the coloring deep red and purple of the skin of the Moro, which is now mostly grown in California. Tarocco oranges have the familiar flavor of standard oranges and a great tang of acidity. Inside the fruit has a few streaks of red throughout its orange flesh. The Morro has a gorgeous, ruby-like flesh but not nearly the flavor of the Tarocco.

Meyer lemons are bit less tart than standard lemons, and have a faint flavor of tangerine, which is especially noticable in their fragrant zest.

Since citrus zest packs the biggest flavor punch in these fruits, that is where I focused my attention, plus it preserves far better than the juice... 

What could be more rewarding to make than Limoncello? It only slightly more complicated than peeling a potato, you get to feel like you really did something "homemade" and then you get drunk on the results.

Step 1 Remove the zest from the fruit using a standard vegetable peeler, trying to avoid as much of the bitter white pith as possible.

Step 2 Place the zest in a glass jar with a tight fitting lid and cover with 100 proof vodka or pure grain alcohol.

Step 3 Store the jar in a dark, cool place for 7-10 days until the zest has lost its color and the liquid has taken a deep yellow or orange.

Step 4 Make simple syrup by combining equal parts sugar and water and bring to a boil to dissolve completely. Cool and blend with the strained liquor to taste.