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IN A NUTSHELL...

The essential ingredients: a family house with a few dozens Menton lemon trees (Protected Geographical Indication), the Côte d'Azur sun, two people passionate about travel and gastronomy, a "responsible" agriculture.

The results: hand-made products with lemons of Menton, in limited quantity, with elegant flavors, a moderate sugar level and several original recipes, which will certainly surprise you! With no chemical additives, preservatives, added aromas, coloring, etc...

A THOROUGH ARTISANAL PROCESS

All lemons used in our manufacturing process come from our property. All stages are made by hand, from the harvesting to the fruit preparation and bottling or poting. We only use traditional ustensils.

Our recipes mix creativity and elegance. To respect the unique taste of the Menton lemon, our jams are prepared in batches of maximum 2 kilos of pulp, with 55g of fruits for 100g, and very short cooking time, while our limoncello (lemon liquor) has limited sugar, and is slightly more intense in alcohol (33% vol.) and flavor than usual limoncellos. 

Finally, for our original recipes, we select natural spices and herbs such as vanilla from Madagascar, safran from Iran, Sichuan pepper and jasmine tea from China, and banish any additives (colouring, pectin, preservatives, acidifier, added aromas…).

  1. Agriculture: our property is managed with responsible agricultural practices, we only use organic products, and in limited quantity.

  2. Harvesting: hand-made, we start in December and finish in May, in order to pick each lemon at its full maturity. They are then hand-washed before processing. 

  3. Lemon zesting: we are very keen on doing it without taking the white part of the skin, which would give a bitter taste and force us to add sugar. The zests are then macerated in pure alcohol for a duration and in proportions that are kept confidential! ;).

  4. Removing the albedo (white part): it counts for 20 to 30% of the total weight, that we throw away, to only keep the pulp. 

  5. Pulp preparation: hand cutting and pips removal with a knife

  6. Jam cooking: in copper jam bowls of maximum 2 kg, here again, with some personal tricks to preserve the lemon flavor.

  7. Limoncello bottling: several weeks later, we filter the alcohol and mix it with a home-made syrup. 

  8. Varieties: for our non-nature products, we use various methods to extract in the best way the aromas of our added herbs and spices (cinnamon, thyme from the garden, vanilla of Madagascar, Chinese basil, saffron, etc.).

PRODUCTION STEPS

Lemons from our garden

Lemons from our garden

Just harvested and washed

Zests

Zests

Only the yellow part, not the white one

Zests maceration

Zests maceration

In glass containers with pure alcohol

Limoncello of lemons of Menton

Limoncello of lemons of Menton

Our classic receipee

Lemons of Menton without zests

Lemons of Menton without zests

After the zests are peeled, we use the lemons for the jams.

Bitter white part of the skin

Bitter white part of the skin

This white part of the skin represents 20% to 30% of the fruit, and is hand-peeled and thrown away

Lemons without skin

Lemons without skin

Lemons ready to be cut for our jam preparations

Cut and pips removed lemon pieces

Cut and pips removed lemon pieces

2 kgs maximum of pulp per bowl

Pulp cooking

Pulp cooking

In copper bowl

Short cooking

Short cooking

At this stage, sugar has been added. The jam is ready to be put in pots.

Our jams : several varieties

Our jams : several varieties

Lemons jams from Villa Baïna

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