Wash lemons and peel off all the zest using a vegetable peeler. Set peeled lemons aside. Add the lemon zest to a bowl and cover with sugar. Toss to combine. Cover and let sit for a minimum of 2 hours, or up to overnight.
Bring water to a boil in a pot over high heat; turn off heat and pour in the lemon-sugar mixture. Stir and let sit until the sugar is completely dissolved, about 5 minutes.
Pour through a mesh strainer back into the same bowl and discard the zest. Let cool to room temperature, 20 to 30 minutes.
Cut the lemons in half and squeeze into the bowl. Pour lemonade into a serving pitcher. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill thoroughly before serving over ice, at least 2 hours.
Chef’s Notes:
If your lemons feel waxy, give them a good scrub under hot water before using.
Feel free to adjust amounts of lemon juice and sugar.
1 1/2 sleeves of saltine crackers (about 6 ounces or 60 crackers)
1/ 2cup softened unsalted butter
3 tablespoons sugar
For the filling:
One14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
4 egg yolks
1/2 cup lemon or lime juice or a mix of the two
Fresh whipped cream, for garnish
Coarse sea salt, for garnish
Preheat oven to 350° F.
Crush the crackers finely, but not to dust. You can use a food processor or your hands. Add the sugar, then knead in the butter until the crumbs hold together like dough. Press into an 8-inch pie pan. Chill for 15 minutes, then bake for 18 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. note: crust took at least 15 min more to become golden, set on convection bake at 375.
While the crust is cooling (it doesn’t need to be cold), beat the egg yolks into the milk, then beat in the citrus juice. It is important to completely combine these ingredients. Pour into the shell and bake for 16 minutes until the filling has set. The pie needs to be completely cold to be sliced. Serve with fresh whipped cream and a sprinkling of sea salt.
