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Sunday, Sept. 17, 2017 | 2 a.m.
Did you know?
As of 2016, the U.S. produced 6 percent of the world’s lemons — worth more than $207 million — making it the seventh-largest producer. We’re also a big importer, with about 200 distinct varieties available to consumers in our market alone. Still, most of us have only seen the handful carried by grocery stores.
Which to choose
Pick lemons that are:
1. Bright yellow, indicating less acidity.
2. Shiny, indicating freshness.
3. Unwrinkled, to avoid fruit that is past its prime.
4. Plump, firm specimens that are heavy for their size, meaning juicy.
Use the flower
If you’re growing your own, use the blossoms to decorate cakes, or make tea by steeping a handful of rinsed buds in hot water for 30 minutes and then adding lemon juice and honey to taste.
Ornamental. Edible. Medicinal. Homicidal to weeds, stains, stinks and terrifyingly old cheese clinging to the grater. Lemons are little miracles. When life hands you some, don’t stop at making lemonade.
Types of lemons
• Lisbon: The old faithful in the U.S., a Portuguese fruit grown here since 1843. Highly acidic and nearly seedless, it fares better in cooler climates than the Eureka variety.
• Eureka: First grown in LA in the 1850s (from fruit believed to be from Italy), it came to rival the Lisbon lemon dominating the globe. Both still do. But Eureka plants fruit all year and have slightly thicker, tougher skin. Less commonly seen is the variegated Eureka lemon, which has pink flesh and green stripes.
• Buddha’s Hand: This heavily perfumed Himalayan stunner is said to bring good fortune. What it doesn’t bring is any juice or pulp. The peel and pith, or fibrous casing most people discard after peeling citrus, have many culinary uses.
• Greek citron (etrog): Ancient fans knew it as the Median apple, Media being the very old name for Persia. It wasn’t the fruit, but the leaves that were the foundation of Kitron, a liquor for which the island of Naxos is famous. The blossoms on the tree are purple, and the pith around the fruit is impressively thick.
• Ponderosa: You might mistake it for a grapefruit (or an alien cocoon) because of the size, but cut it open and you’ll find the acidic yellow flesh you know and love.
• Limetta: Also known as sweet lemon, this fruit has thin pith and skin and plenty of bright citrus taste without the acid. It can be peeled and eaten like an orange. They are native to Southeast Asia but grown around the world.
• Meyer: This lemon is half mandarin orange, which is why the peel is such a brilliant yellow and the juice has more sweet complexity than any standard lemon. The peel is very smooth and soft, lacking the concentrated oil of other types.
• Yuzu: Don’t be turned off by the bumpy skin and plentiful seeds. Japanese lemon has one of the finest flavor profiles, soft and incredibly floral — like drinking a blossom. You may have tasted it in a cocktail or that ponzu sauce on your tempura.
Culinary anatomy:
• Peel: The outside has almost as many uses as the fruit it protects, depending on the type of lemon. Smooth, soft peels are great for candying or pickling, as cocktail garnish or grated for their zest. The tiny curls of oil-infused peel pack intense aroma and flavor, whether sprinkled on grilled meat or glazed banana bread.
• Pith: Typically bitter, this fibrous layer often is used only for its pectin, a thickening agent in food products. But in the case of Buddha’s Hand and some other citrons, the pith is oily and sweet, so the fruit can be chopped whole and then preserved or candied.
• Pulp: Lemon juice is a kitchen staple. Aside from all the ways the tart, juicy pulp is used to flavor dishes and drinks, it’s an effective meat tenderizer. Try it as a vinegar alternative in sauces and dressings, or for low-sodium diets, it can even stand in for salt.
Put that fruit to work
To refresh your microwave, cut up some of the fruit and put it in a cup of water. Heat it until the microwave window steams up and then let it sit for 15 minutes. That should loosen any grease or food bits for you to wipe away.
The oil in the peel is used in perfume, so bring lemon slices and cloves to a simmer on the stove to scent the air in your home.
• Cleaning: There are too many hacks to name. So why is lemon juice such an effective natural cleaner? Citric acid. Straight or with salt as its sidekick, it eats through food residue on cutting boards, mineral deposits on fixtures, tarnish on metal, sweat or rust stains on fabric. We could keep going. The typical method is to cut a lemon in half and just rub it on the offending substance, though some require soaking in a slurry of juice and salt.
In animal studies, lemon juice showed significant ability to curb swelling caused by inflammation.
The alternative wellness community swears by a daily tonic of lemon juice and turmeric (a spice in the ginger family), and the effectiveness of lemon oil on common canker sores. And don’t forget the old-school cold remedy of whisky, lemon and honey in a mug of steaming water.
If you have hiccups, try biting into a lemon — the shocking tartness is said to interrupt the nerve impulse that causes the spasm.
• Health: We all know about vitamin C. Lemons also pack thiamin, riboflavin and niacin. But the most promising properties are tied to phytochemicals, known to be antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antihypertensive and antidiabetic. Concentrated lemon juice has even been studied for its potential use in the development of new drugs to fight infection, as bacteria become more and more resistant. It inhibits the growth of staph and salmonella, as well as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which defies most conventional antibiotics. While inflammation can be a useful mechanism in the body, it’s also the cause of chronic diseases when the immune system mistakenly fights its own cells (think rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis and ulcerative colitis).
Put the lemon solution in a spray bottle, apply evenly to hair and sit out in the sun for at least an hour on four occasions to set the color.
• Beauty: Given its toughness on stains, it’s no surprise that lemon is used as a lightener in the beauty realm. While some apply it to nails or the darkened skin on elbows or knees, it’s much more commonly used to bleach hair. In this case, sun is the sidekick, as UV rays activate and speed up the juice’s attack on pigment through oxidation. There is some risk of drying out your hair with this method, so Self magazine suggests using three parts juice to one part leave-in conditioner (it’s two-to-one if you stick with water).
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