Sweet Lemons

[fifi]

My sister just reported that she has purchased something called "Sweet Lemons" from our local (Houston) Latin market. They are a little smaller than a tennis ball, round like a ball, smooth skinned and light yellow with some tan freckels. Does anyone know what these are? If so, what do you do with them? She hasen't tasted them yet.

[slbunge]

I believe that the Meyer Lemon is the most popular sweet lemon but there may be others out there. Not as strongly sour as a 'standard' lemon. Still a nice citrus flavor. I had a very nice panne cotta with Meyer lemon once.

[fifi]

Yeah, that was my first thought. My sister says this isn't a Meyer lemon. I believe her. Hell... We have grown those. This is something we haven't seen and we have been around a loooooonnngg time.

[slbunge]

Hmmmmm...now I'm curious.

Google didn't help me at all.

I suggest a bribe for your sister so she will try it and report. Have her snap a photo first.

Edit: Found this about lemons via google and it mentions a sweet lemon, although it doesn't mention a connection with Mexico or what to do with it.

Edited August 27, 2003 by slbunge (log)

[FoodZealot]

I believe I have purchased lemons as described above, at the Santa Monica farmer's market. Very spherical, not oblong like Eureka lemons. I believe they were called Persian lemons and were not Meyers. Somewhat mild lemon flavor, but no acidity in the flesh. Not exactly sweet, though. Just not sour.

~Tad

[fifi]

Great link, slbunge.

I will have her try them and report back. It sounds like they might be kind of useless. We will see. It might be a day or so before I can report back.

Thanks for the replies.

[bloviatrix]

Can you post a photo of what they look like?

[ronnie_suburban]

We use the hard copy of the Morton book (linked above by slbunge) constantly at work. It is a phenomenal resource and also out of print, so its virtual presence is very valuable.

FWIW, the denotation of "persian" generally refers to the standard variety of limes grown in Mexico.

As for sweet lemons, I probably have some info on them somewhere at my office. I'll look for it tomorrow if I remember. I wish I could be of more immediate help.

=R=

[fifi]

My sister tasted the "sweet lemons" and went... eeehh.

[memesuze]

I'm always on the lookout for Meyers, but they aren't often to be found in Texas - I've seen them at Central Market only once or twice over the last couple of years.

However, today, at Fiesta - a chain that caters to the international, especially Latino, shopper, I saw a "sweet lemon" and purchased it in hopes that it would substitute for, or actually be, a Meyer lemon. It looks like a miniature greenish yellow-skinned grapefruit - not elongated like regular lemons, or like the picture of a Meyer on the A&M website. It's about 2.25" tall and 2.5" wide.

Since I've never tasted a Meyer lemon, I couldn't say whether its taste, once I've cut into it, will be the same as a Meyer.

Have any of you run into this type of fruit notation? And can you fill me in on its potential as a sub for Meyer?

[ludja]

I'm always on the lookout for Meyers, but they aren't often to be found in Texas - I've seen them at Central Market only once or twice over the last couple of years.

However, today, at Fiesta - a chain that caters to the international, especially Latino, shopper, I saw a "sweet lemon" and purchased it in hopes that it would substitute for, or actually be, a Meyer lemon. It looks like a miniature greenish yellow-skinned grapefruit - not elongated like regular lemons, or like the picture of a Meyer on the A&M website. It's about 2.25" tall and 2.5" wide.

Since I've never tasted a Meyer lemon, I couldn't say whether its taste, once I've cut into it, will be the same as a Meyer.

Have any of you run into this type of fruit notation? And can you fill me in on its potential as a sub for Meyer?

Meyer lemons are rounder that 'regular' Eurkea lemons. They are also thinner skinned and have a wonderful aroma, even without cutting them; less of a lemon 'bite' in it.

As I was trying to describe it, I thought of looking in Chez Panisse Fruits. Here's what Alice has to say:

"Ripe Meyer lemons are sweeter than other lemons, and teh skin has a distinctive floral fragrance, similar to a combination of lemon and orange. The fruits are rounder than common lemons and have golden-yellow to orange-tinged skin and tender, very juicy orange-yellow flesh. Use as ordinary lemons, as long as you take into account their low acidity"

Ah, floral was the word I was looking for.

Oh wait, I read onto the next page and found,

"Meyer Lemons are now available from a few growers in Texas and Florida, as well as California"

By the way, any way you could ask where you bought if it is a Meyer lemon?

[memesuze]

There is a bare hint of floral to the skin - I smelled citrus when I smelled the grapefruit.

When I cut it open, the flesh is a pale yellow. Since the fruit itself does not have any golden or orange tinge to it, I'm not sure if that just means that it's not yet ripe and the flesh would turn orange upon ripening.

The flesh is juicy, but very bland tasting - not sweet, not citrus, not sharp.

I'll try asking at the store, but usually they don't have much of a clue.

I guess I need to get Foodie 52 on the chase to get Central Mkt to stock these more often or let me know when they are in, if it is as hit-or-miss as it seems to be.

[tejon]

Might simply be an unripe Meyer. Did they have any that weren't greenish? I wonder if it's another lemon variant, something similar.

Meyer lemons are so completely different, both in taste and especially in aroma. The scent is heady and very unmistakable once you've experienced it. Just scratching the peel a little will release a lucsious scent. The flavor is much less acidic than typical lemons, more delicate as well.

I grew up with a Meyer lemon tree in my back yard. Needless to say, we made a killing come lemonade stand time. I have a small potted tree on my porch now - one of the few things I will fight to grow wherever we end up.

[phaelon56]

This arouses my curiosity. perhaps slightly off-topic but insteresting is that a friend's wife who is Brazilian advised me that in Brazil, the fruit we call lemons are referred to as "limes" and are cheap and abundantly available. The fruit we call limes are known as 'Egyptian lemons" and difficult to find in stores (they apear to eb about as common as Meyer lemons are here in the US).

[Chloe]

This arouses my curiosity. perhaps slightly off-topic but insteresting is that a friend's wife who is Brazilian advised me that in Brazil, the fruit we call lemons are referred to as "limes" and are cheap and abundantly available. The fruit we call limes are known as 'Egyptian lemons" and difficult to find in stores (they apear to eb about as common as Meyer lemons are here in the US).

As far as I know, what the Europeans call limas are known as limões in Brazil, and what the Europeans call limões (i.e. lemons in English) are the ones that are difficult to find and known by various different names, sometimes "limões galegos", i.e. Galician lemons (Galician as in north-west Iberian, not east European), but this name can also be given to what non-Brazilians would call limes.

And the Brazilians have lots of different limes (and lemons) and every different Brazilian city/state seems to have different names for each variety.

Chloë

north Portugal

[kellycolorado]

hmm, maybe it is an unripe Meyer- It doesn't sound like a ripe one, but could probably sub for one if it's not too acidic.

I have a potted Meyer lemon tree (which never bears fruit for me here in CO). Maybe you could get a small tree and keep it indoors during the frosts. They are awesome fruits!

[fifi]

This came up before on this thread. I am not sure we ever figured out what to do with them. I recall my sister tasting them and saying they weren't worth pursuing.

[memesuze]

I agree with fifi's sister: some form of bland citrus - but surely not a Meyer - no nipple on the end, as in these photos from A&M:

http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/citrus/...yer%20Lemon.htm

I'm still on the hunt....

[Jason Perlow]

Lemons from the Amalfi and Sorrento coast of Italy are also "Sweet" lemons. I think these Italian varieties are also grown to some extent in the US.

[Wolfert]

In Morocco, there is a sweet lemon called lim lamsayyar. It is green, thin-skinned and small with a sweet flavor. Some Moroccans consider it the finest lemon to preserve in salt. And it is also known as "lime." or "limetta."

[Jaymes]

Memesuze. I know where you live, so you can take my advice here seriously.

Grow your own Meyer's Lemon Tree. That's what I do. Out on my little deck. In fact, I think you saw it. I always get lots of lemons every year. The only tricky part is to be sure to cover it if there's a hard freeze.

You can find them at most of our local area plant nurseries. I bought mine about eight years ago at Red Barn. Since I've had such smashing success with mine, that has become my favorite gift for plant-loving friends. At least four such friends now have their own trees that present them with lemons each year.

[helenjp]

I agree that you have a good chance of getting fruit off a Meyer lemon tree -- they tend to bear prolifically in the ground, though my unreliable memory is that the trees are shorter-lived than other lemons (maybe only in borderline climates??)

In fact, because Meyers are so easy to grow in much of my native New Zealand, they are scorned and looked down on by serious cooks, who claim to prefer the sharpness of the "real" lemon...doesn't tell you much about the nature of the Meyer lemon, but reveals the usual tendencies in human nature!

[Wolfert]

However, today, at Fiesta - a chain that caters to the international, especially Latino, shopper, I saw a "sweet lemon" and purchased it in hopes that it would substitute for, or actually be, a Meyer lemon.  It looks like a miniature greenish yellow-skinned grapefruit - not elongated like regular lemons, or like the picture of a Meyer on the A&M website. It's about 2.25" tall and 2.5" wide.

Since I've never tasted a Meyer lemon, I couldn't say whether its taste, once I've cut into it, will be the same as a Meyer.

Have any of you run into this type of fruit notation? And can you fill me in on its potential as a sub for Meyer?

There is a difference between sweet lemons (C. limetta Risso) which are green, very floral and sweet, and 'Meyers' (lemon X mandarin hybrid) which are vivid yellow, spicy and aromatic.

Does anyone know where I can purchase Sweet lemons in the bay area?

Edited December 8, 2003 by Wolfert (log)

[badthings]

However, today, at Fiesta - a chain that caters to the international, especially Latino, shopper, I saw a "sweet lemon" and purchased it in hopes that it would substitute for, or actually be, a Meyer lemon.  It looks like a miniature greenish yellow-skinned grapefruit - not elongated like regular lemons, or like the picture of a Meyer on the A&M website. It's about 2.25" tall and 2.5" wide.

Since I've never tasted a Meyer lemon, I couldn't say whether its taste, once I've cut into it, will be the same as a Meyer.

Have any of you run into this type of fruit notation? And can you fill me in on its potential as a sub for Meyer?

There is a difference between sweet lemons (C. limetta Risso) which are green, very floral and sweet, and 'Meyers' (lemon X mandarin hybrid) which are vivid yellow, spicy and aromatic.

Does anyone know where I can purchase Sweet lemons in the bay area?

Paula, "sweet lemons," or at least this one, sound a lot like "sweet limes", although they are not the same, according to this page and this one:

The sweet lime, Citrus limettioides Tan. (syn. C. lumia Risso et Poit.), is called limettier doux in French; lima dulce in Spanish; mitha limbu, mitha nimbu, or mitha nebu, in India (mitha meaning "sweet"); quit giây in Vietnam; limûn helou, or succari in Egypt; laymûn-helo in Syria and Palestine.  It is often confused with the sweet lemon, C. limetta Tan., (q.v. under LEMON) which, in certain areas, is referred to as "sweet lime".  In some of the literature, it is impossible to tell which fruit is under discussion.

However, "sweet limes" are almost always be found at the Berkeley Bowl. Also sometimes called "Palestine limes," I think? Monterey Markey, also in Berkeley, usually has at least one exotic citrus: in the last year I've seen Citrons, Buddha's Hands, Bergamots, and Yuzu, but not, I think, sweet lemons. But you might want to talk to them ((510) 526-6042), as they obviously have some excellent sources for citrus (at one point they found a farmer who grows 5-6 different italian varieties).

Returning to the original question, I have always found it easiest to identify Meyer lemons by their smooth, shiny peel, which is easily distinguishible from even waxed lisbons/eurekas because they are much bumpier.

[Wolfert]

Thanks so much. I will definitely call before I make a trip to Berkeley. I want to make a new batch of preserved lemons.