National Lemon Meringue Pie Day

Today is National Lemon Meringue Pie Day - and while I certainly enjoy a tasty slice of lemon meringue pie, I'm thinking more about celebrating this with a cross between a lemon bar and lemon chiffon pie! To make this tasty treat I will make a butter shortbread cookie lemon bar bottom, take my lemon curd, cool it, whip the egg whites to make meringue, then fold the lemon curd and meringue together - gently - and top on my cooled butter shortbread cookie crust. This will be tasty for sure!

So, today, whether you celebrate with a tasty lemon meringue pie, or modify it a bit (as I will be doing), since today is the day to enjoy this delightful treat I thought I'd share some Lemon Fun Facts - did you know . . . 

• The Quakers generally receive credit for inventing lemon custard in the late 1700s.
• Lemon trees bloom and produce fruit year-round. Each tree can produce between 500 and 600 pounds of lemons in a year.
• California and Arizona produce 95% of the entire U.S. lemon crop.
• Lemons are necessary onboard British Navy ships due to their healing powers arising from their high vitamin C concentration.
• Mixing lemon juice with hot water creates an effective antibacterial mouthwash.

So, as they say on National Days, "The main flavor profile is lemon, right? Well, lemons are an excellent source of vitamin C, good for your body, and naturally antibacterial. They can also help you absorb iron, stimulate your liver, and might even have cancer-fighting properties. Sure, you could get these benefits by drinking lemon water, but pie is just more fun."

You will find out more about National Lemon Meringue Pie Day at this link.