Listing description
The tree's ellipsoidal yellow fruit is used for culinary
and non-culinary purposes throughout the world, primarily for its juice, which has both culinary and cleaning uses.[1] The pulp and rind (zest) are also used in cooking and baking. The juice of the lemon is
about 5% to 6% citric acid, which gives a sour
taste.
Detailed description
The distinctive sour
taste of lemon juice makes it a key ingredient in drinks and foods such as lemonade andlemon meringue pie.
History
The origin of the
lemon is unknown, though lemons are thought to have first grown in Assam (a region in northeast India), northern Burmaor China.[1] A study of the
genetic origin of the lemon reported it to be hybrid between bitter orange (sour orange) and citron.[2]
Lemons entered Europe near southern Italy no later than the
first century AD, during the time of Ancient Rome.[1] However, they were
not widely cultivated. They were later introduced to Persia and then to Iraq and Egypt around 700 AD.[1] The lemon was first
recorded in literature in a 10th-century Arabic treatise on farming,
and was also used as an ornamental plant in early Islamic gardens.[1] It was distributed
widely throughout the Arab world and the Mediterranean region between 1000 and
1150.[1]
The first
substantial cultivation of lemons in Europe began in Genoa in the middle of the
15th century. The lemon was later introduced to the Americas in 1493 when Christopher Columbus brought lemon seeds
to Hispaniola on his voyages.
Spanish conquest throughout the New World helped spread lemon seeds. It was
mainly used as an ornamental plant and for medicine.[1] In the 19th century,
lemons were increasingly planted in Florida and California.[1]
In 1747, James Lind's experiments on seamen suffering from scurvy involved adding
lemon juice to their diets, though vitamin C was not yet known.[1][3]
The origin of the
word "lemon" may be Middle Eastern.[1] The word draws from
the Old French limon, then
Italian limone, from the
Arabic laymūn or līmūn,
and from the Persianlīmūn, a generic term for citrus fruit, which is a
cognate of Sanskrit (nimbū, “lime”).[4]
Varieties
The 'Eureka' grows
year-round and abundantly. This is the common supermarket lemon,[7] also known as 'Four
Seasons' (Quatre Saisons) because of its ability to produce fruit and
flowers together throughout the year. This variety is also available as a plant
to domestic customers.[8] There is also a pink-fleshed Eureka
lemon, which's outer skin is variegated from green and
yellow stripes.[9]
The 'Femminello St.
Teresa', or 'Sorrento'[10] is native to Italy.
This fruit's zest is high in lemon oils. It is the variety traditionally used
in the making of limoncello.
The 'Meyer' is a cross between a lemon and possibly an orange
or a mandarin, and was named after Frank N. Meyer, who first discovered it in
1908. Thin-skinned and slightly less acidic than the Lisbon and Eureka lemons,
Meyer lemons require more care when shipping and are not widely grown on a
commercial basis. Meyer lemons have a much thinner rind, and often mature to a
yellow-orange color. They are slightly more frost-tolerant than other lemons.
The 'Ponderosa' is more
cold-sensitive than true lemons; the fruit are thick-skinned and very large. It
is likely a citron-lemon hybrid.
Culinary uses
Lemon juice, rind,
and zest are used in a wide variety of foods and drinks. Lemon juice is used to
make lemonade, soft drinks, andcocktails. It is used in marinades for fish, where its
acid neutralizes amines in fish by
converting them into nonvolatile ammonium salts, and meat,
where the acid partially hydrolyzes tough collagen
fibers, tenderizing the meat, but the
low pH denatures the
proteins, causing them to dry out when cooked. Lemon juice is frequently used
in the United Kingdom to add to pancakes, especially on Shrove Tuesday.
Lemon juice is also
used as a short-term preservative on certain foods
that tend to oxidize and turn brown after being sliced (enzymatic browning), such as apples, bananas, and avocados, where its acid
denatures the enzymes.
Lemon juice and rind
are used to make marmalade and lemon liqueur. Lemon slices and
lemon rind are used as a garnish for food and drinks.
Lemon zest, the grated outer rind of the fruit, is used to add flavor to
baked goods, puddings, rice, and other dishes.
The leaves of the
lemon tree are used to make a tea and for preparing cooked meats and seafoods.
Other uses
Industrial
Lemons were the
primary commercial source of citric acid before the
development of fermentation-based processes.[12]
As a cleaning agent
The juice of the
lemon may be used for cleaning. A halved lemon dipped in salt or baking powder
is used to brighten copper cookware. The acid dissolves the tarnish and the
abrasives assist the cleaning. As a sanitary kitchen deodorizer the juice can deodorize,
remove grease, bleach stains, and disinfect; when mixed with baking soda, it
removes stains from plastic food storage containers.[13] The oil of the
lemon's peel also has various uses. It is used as a wood cleaner and polish,
where its solvent property is employed to dissolve old wax, fingerprints, and
grime. Lemon oil and orange oil are also used as a
nontoxic insecticide treatment.
A halved lemon is
used as a finger moistener for those counting large amounts of bills, such as
tellers and cashiers.
Medicinal
Lemon oil may be
used in aromatherapy. Lemon oil aroma
does not influence the human immune system, but may enhance
mood.[14] The low pH of juice
makes it antibacterial, and in India, the
lemon is used in Indian traditional medicines (Siddha medicine and Ayurveda).[citation needed]
Other
One educational
science experiment involves attaching electrodes to a lemon and using
it as a battery to produce
electricity. Although very low power, several lemon batteries can power a small
digital watch.[15] These experiments
also work with other fruits and vegetables.
Lemon juice is also
sometimes used as an acid in educational science experiments.
Lemon alternatives
Certain cultivars of basil
·
Two varieties of scented geranium: Pelargonium
crispum (lemon geranium) and Pelargonium x melissinum (lemon balm)
·
Lemon myrtle, an Australian bush food, has recently
become a popular alternative to lemons.[16][dead link] The crushed and dried
leaves and edible essential oils have a strong, sweet
lemon taste, but contain no citric acid. Lemon myrtle is popular in foods that
curdle with lemon juice, such as cheesecake and ice cream.
·
Several cultivars of
hybrid tea roses
Lemons are a rich
source of vitamin C, providing 64% of
the Daily Value in a 100 g serving
(table). Other essential nutrients, however, have insignificant content (table).
Lemons contain
numerous phytochemicals, including polyphenols and terpenes.[18] As with other citrus
fruits, they have significant concentrations of citric acid (about 47 g/l
in juice).
PRICE
$90.10/KG
For more information:
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