It’s been quite some time since we had a lemon pie at our house, but my mom has a good recipe that she has been making for years. Homemade lemon meringue pie. Is there anything tastier? I happen to love lemon anything. In fact, growing up my sister and I used to cut up lemons, salt them, and eat them. I know….not good for your teeth, but we sure loved them. The dentist told us to stop it, so we did.
Last year, I picked up a Meyer Lemon Tree and brought it with me from Alabama. It’s been sitting outside all summer, growing and actually getting some blooms going and it surprised me when 5 lemons began forming. Those 5 lemons grew and grew and then they turned yellow and were ready to pick. So, we had to do something with them and a homemade lemon pie was just the thing. We have 2 lemons left and will be making a lemon tart that mom found in a magazine, so I’ll post that one too, when we get to it.
I love this little lemon tree and what fun it was to watch the lemons grow, green at first and then turning that beautiful shade of yellow.
Picked and waiting for pie.
Our old church cookbook, which has lots of good tried and true Southern dishes inside. Mom contributed quite a few to this cookbook.
We grated the zest to save for future recipes.
Adding lemon juice to start cooking.
Stirring to thicken.
We used a ready-made piecrust for this, easier than making the crust. Mom is into short-cuts these days and I’m all for that too. Pie crust is baked and ready.
Adding the lemon filling.
All filled and ready for meringue.
Made from scratch meringue. YUM!!
Add a dollop and keep going.
More dollops and it is full and ready to bake.
Then it comes out looking like this! Isn’t is a beauty?
It’s the purdiest pie I’ve ever seen.
The meringue got a little weepy, but that didn’t change the taste. It is fantabulous!! If you refrigerate the pie, it should set up a little better for cutting.
Homemade Lemon Meringue Pie
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup + 2 tsp. cornstarch
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup + 1 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup cold water
5 egg yolks, well-beaten
2 T. butter
1 1/2 cups boiling water
1 tsp. grated lemon peel
1 baked pastry shell
In saucepan, thoroughly combine sugar, cornstarch and salt; blend in lemon juice, then cold water and egg yolks until very smooth. Add butter and gradually stir in boiling water. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly, boil 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in grated peel. Partially cool while preparing meringue.
Meringue
5 egg whites
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
1/2 cup + 2 T. sugar
Beat meringue with electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Dollop on top of pie. Bake at 350 until brown on top. Let cool and refrigerate to set pie even more for cutting.
Hi Rhoda! Your lemons look so perfect on your tree and pictured on your plate. I can imagine how excited you were to be able to make a pie with fresh lemons from your own tree! Thanks for sharing your recipe!
Hi Rhoda. Your pie looks delicious. I have never made a lemon meringue pie before, but I am going to give it a try.
OH my gosh, yum! Now I’m sitting here wishing I could have a slice for breakfast. I’ve never made a meringue pie, but maybe it’s time. And do you think Meyer Lemon trees can grown indoors in the winter?
Jane, yes they do very well in pots. You can put them out in the summer & bring them in in Winter months. Mine is on the porch now & if it gets really really cold, I’ll bring it in the house for a few days.
Rhoda
Love Love LOVE this post, not just because it is my favorite type pie but because you grew your own lemons.
I have made lemon pies since high school home ec (will not say how many yrs that is) and I do think your pictured pie IS the prettiest one I have ever seen. Treasure every minute with your mom, she is beyond awesome!
I’m not a fan of pies but I do love to bake, so I’m thinking I might try making this and giving it to my dad or brother. They both LOVE this kind of pie! Thanks so much for sharing!
I adore seeing your moms beautiful hands in the photos. they remind me so much of my own mothers hands! I try to collect these types of cookbooks where ever I can, Church groups, women’s institue groups and ladies auxillary cookbooks always have the best “real” food recipes!
Cheers to you and yours:)
I will certainly try the lemon pie…I know it will be delicious. I made your Mom’s dressing recipe for Thanksgiving and it was wonderful…..Thanks you for sharing these great tried and true recipes.
Rhonda, love your blog, thanks for all the information you share with us. Really enjoy your mother’s recipes – tell her Thank You for sharing with us and keep them coming for us during the holidays.
Rhonda, your Mom’s pie looks wonderful! How great is it that you grew the lemons for it yourself. I have never had any luck with growing lemons or oranges, but I am be willing to try again after seeing your photos. Hope your family enjoyed that pie because we sure enjoyed reading about it! I love following your blog.
That’s wonderful! You’ve just solved the mystery of what to get for my father-in-law for Christmas. He would love to baby a lemon tree.
Oh my word that is a beautiful pie. i might just have to come down to Atlanta to get some!
YUM!!! And if you would like some Meyer lemons to display in your kitchen all year round – check out the great “faux” fruit at http://www.favoritethingshomedecor.com!
This looks delicious! I can’t wait to try it! Thanks for sharing!
What beautiful lemons you grew! I have always wanted to try a lemon tree. Perhaps I will now. Your pie looks so delicious. I haven’t made one like this in a long, long time. I love those church and community cookbooks because they have the best tried and true recipes.
Lemon is my favorite. This looks wonderful!
I love, love anything lemon. The pie looks yummy. My mom makes a great one, too. I need to find her recipe, but if I can’t, I now have yours. Thanks.
Rhoda,
Love your mother’s hand with it’s age spots, wrinkles, veins and touch of arthritis.
Really has me missing my mother so much.
Linda Miller
p.s. My hands are starting to look the same way.
Wow! That looks amazing, I will definitely be trying this recipe out. I love Lemon Meringue pie but mine never come out looking so great so will test this one for sure 🙂
Lee
I, too, love your mom’s hands. Oh to see my own mom making pies! She was a wonderful cook, and cooked those fabulous southern dishes like your mom. Be thankful that you still have loving parents! I know you are!