# Interesting Lemon Link



## AnnieDrews (Feb 12, 2011)

Here is an interesting link to some info about lemons, including a short description of the Meyer lemon that was discussed recently on the Lemon Cake thread!!

View All Photos < Interesting Facts About Lemons - Cooking Light


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## chopper (Feb 12, 2011)

Good link.  I read it, but one thing I did not see was anything about freezing lemons.  I know that I have made ice rings before, and that the frozen lemons in that were just fine and flavored the punch, so when I had lots of lemons that I picked myself from a friend who lives in AZ, I froze some (sliced).  They work great to add to both cold and hot tea.  Just pop them in frozen.  I use them in the cold tea instead of ice, and in hot tea to cool it down just enough to start drinking right away.  I had never thought to try this before, and always scrambled to use up lemons before they went bad if I had lots.


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## AnnieDrews (Feb 12, 2011)

What a good idea, Chopper!

What I read about the bottled lemon juice made me vow to start keeping fresh lemons on hand for juice.


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## Kayelle (Feb 12, 2011)

AnnieDrews said:


> What a good idea, Chopper!
> 
> What I read about the bottled lemon juice made me vow to start keeping fresh lemons on hand for juice.



So true Annie.....that bottled lemon juice is about as nasty as "cooking wine". 

My Meyer lemon tree is a treasure to be sure. I check on it with my morning coffee every day. It's only about 3 feet high and three feet across, and has been in the ground for 3 yrs.  This morning I counted 22 lemons with more on the way. 
I love the frozen lemon slices idea, Chopper!


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## AnnieDrews (Feb 12, 2011)

Kayelle said:


> So true Annie.....that bottled lemon juice is about as nasty as "cooking wine".
> 
> My Meyer lemon tree is a treasure to be sure. I check on it with my morning coffee every day. It's only about 3 feet high and three feet across, and has been in the ground for 3 yrs. This morning I counted 22 lemons with more on the way.
> I love the frozen lemon slices idea, Chopper!


 
This subject has inspired me to try growing a lemon tree of some sort within the next few years. We are building a house out at my fiance's in the country and I plan to make a spot with good southern exposure so we can bring it in during the winter months.


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## chopper (Feb 12, 2011)

Kayelle said:


> So true Annie.....that bottled lemon juice is about as nasty as "cooking wine".
> 
> My Meyer lemon tree is a treasure to be sure. I check on it with my morning coffee every day. It's only about 3 feet high and three feet across, and has been in the ground for 3 yrs. This morning I counted 22 lemons with more on the way.
> I love the frozen lemon slices idea, Chopper!


 
Thanks, it works like a charm. 

WOW, to be able to have a lemon tree in your yard!  and now that I have read that link, I know that your kind of lemons are sweeter.  I just love learning new things related to food! Maybe I need to build a sun room to be able to have a lemon tree!  Oh, why does everything have to cost money...


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## chopper (Feb 12, 2011)

AnnieDrews said:


> What a good idea, Chopper!
> 
> What I read about the bottled lemon juice made me vow to start keeping fresh lemons on hand for juice.


 Thanks,
I really like having fresh lemons.  They keep quite a while, but it is nice to buy a really big bag, and with freezing them I don't have to worry about waste ever again.


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## Kayelle (Feb 12, 2011)

You too can have a Meyer Lemon Tree......

Meyer Lemons, Meyer Lemon Tree: Everything you would ever want to know

Here's a picture of my in ground Meyer tree


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## chopper (Feb 12, 2011)

Thanks, I added that link for the Meyer lemon trees in my favorites so that I can order one when the weather is nicer. I can't believe that I can have a lemon tree as a house plant! I am SO going to do this. I am so excited!  By the way, your tree is beautiful!


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## Kayelle (Feb 12, 2011)

Thanks Chopper.  You will get *so* much enjoyment from owning one.  I live in the Heritage Valley in Ventura county,California.  It's known as the lemon capital of the world so having one in the ground is no problem for me. As you know though, the Meyer is not a commercial lemon because of the thin skin.  I'm tickled you'll be getting one.....you won't be sorry.


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## AnnieDrews (Feb 12, 2011)

*Kayell*-So that Meyer lemon tree is fairly short? That would probably be even better for Oklahoma....you know, the wind sweepin' down the plain and all. How tall will it get?


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## Kayelle (Feb 12, 2011)

AnnieDrews said:


> *Kayell*-So that Meyer lemon tree is fairly short? That would probably be even better for Oklahoma....you know, the wind sweepin' down the plain and all. How tall will it get?



Yes, mine is short yet Annie..about 3 ft tall at three years old, however as you can see, it's as wide as it is tall. My picture was shot looking down from my front porch. In the ground they will grow to 6 to 8 ft tall.....much smaller than the Eureka lemon orchards here. Those trees are about 20 ft.
Lemon trees don't take kindly to freezing so in many places you'd need to grow it in a large pot on wheels that could be moved to a warmer spot.
I sure know about winds here...we get Santa Ana's (Devil Winds) from the east and they can be hot as a blow torch (ie. fire season). My tree is planted next to a wall to shield it from the wind. Naturally, if it's gown in a pot, it won't get bigger than the pot it's grown in.


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## CraigC (Feb 13, 2011)

Our Meyer lemon is about 6' tall. It started blooming about 3 weeks ago and already there are several lemons. Our key lime tree has also started blooming. Hopefully it will be a good crop this year.

Craig


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## Mimizkitchen (Feb 13, 2011)

Kayelle said:


> So true Annie.....that bottled lemon juice is about as nasty as "cooking wine".
> 
> My Meyer lemon tree is a treasure to be sure. I check on it with my morning coffee every day. It's only about 3 feet high and three feet across, and has been in the ground for 3 yrs.  This morning I counted 22 lemons with more on the way.
> I love the frozen lemon slices idea, Chopper!



My Mom has a Meyer lemon tree in her yard that is about 20 years old, and I love it... Her neighbor has the regular lemon tree, and my client has a key lime tree which is producing beautiful fruit now... So i'm hooked up when it comes to those 3 citruses...


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## chopper (Feb 13, 2011)

Ok, you southerners are making me yearn for the citrus crops!  I will just have to wait until I also have a lemon tree _in my house_.  I grew up where we had grapes and cherries at Grandma and Grandpa's house, and apples and pears at home.  In Colorado I have yet to grow good fruit.  I am going to try apples I think, and of course my inside lemon tree!


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## sparrowgrass (Feb 13, 2011)

I bought my Meyer lemon from Stark Bros. online last spring.  It was about a foot tall when it arrived, and already had 2 teeny lemons on it!

It has been blooming for the last month or so, with lots of pretty and perfumey flowers, and I see little lemons where the flowers have fallen off.  It spent last summer outside, and this winter in a south window, with lots of sun.


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## AnnieDrews (Feb 13, 2011)

sparrowgrass said:


> I bought my Meyer lemon from Stark Bros. online last spring. It was about a foot tall when it arrived, and already had 2 teeny lemons on it!
> 
> It has been blooming for the last month or so, with lots of pretty and perfumey flowers, and I see little lemons where the flowers have fallen off. It spent last summer outside, and this winter in a south window, with lots of sun.


 
It's good to know it can be done in my general area! Thanks!


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## taxlady (Feb 13, 2011)

AnnieDrews said:


> What a good idea, Chopper!
> 
> What I read about the bottled lemon juice made me vow to start keeping fresh lemons on hand for juice.



Yeah, bottled lemon juice has a nasty aftertaste. It's the sodium bisulfite?, bisulfate? anyway, something like that. I noticed the nasty taste when a friend used it in her hummus.

I buy organic lemon juice in a bottle and it's much nicer. It's not quite like fresh lemon, but almost.


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## Lean Pocket (Feb 13, 2011)

So you can bring the tree indoors?  I am curious to try that!  How often do you water it?  And do you have it in a 5 gallon pot or larger pot?


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## Kayelle (Feb 13, 2011)

All of that information is on the link I posted on this thread, Lean Pocket.

Taxlady, that new avitar of yours is hysterical 
She looks like she just ate a lemon.  Who is she?


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## Lean Pocket (Feb 13, 2011)

Thanks Kayelle!  I went back to the link and found the info for my area.


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## Kayelle (Feb 13, 2011)

You're welcome lean pocket, and welcome to DC......you're gonna like it here.


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## Lean Pocket (Feb 13, 2011)

Thanks!!  I am exploring all the threads right now.  I think you are right


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## taxlady (Feb 14, 2011)

Kayelle said:


> All of that information is on the link I posted on this thread, Lean Pocket.
> 
> Taxlady, that new avitar of yours is hysterical
> She looks like she just ate a lemon.  Who is she?



It's me. 

It was on a proof roll and probably never got printed properly. It's one of my "treasures" from my mum's apartment in Copenhagen. I think I was probably tired of having my picture taken or didn't like the photographer.


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## Kayelle (Feb 14, 2011)

taxlady said:


> It's me.
> 
> It was on a proof roll and probably never got printed properly. It's one of my "treasures" from my mum's apartment in Copenhagen. I think I was probably tired of having my picture taken or didn't like the photographer.



 Actually, it's adorable TL.  Had you ever seen the picture before you found it in your Mom's things?  I found a tiny baby shoe in my Mom's things when she died.  Inside was a love note to me...her last baby.  What a treasure it is, what a treasure she was.


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## taxlady (Feb 14, 2011)

Kayelle said:


> Actually, it's adorable TL.  Had you ever seen the picture before you found it in your Mom's things?  I found a tiny baby shoe in my Mom's things when she died.  Inside was a love note to me...her last baby.  What a treasure it is, what a treasure she was.



Thank you. I think it's adorable and hilarious. No, I had never seen it before. She only had happy, smiling pix printed. Looking at the quantity of smiling pix, you would think that baby was an alien. I liked finding some that prove I'm human


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## AnnieDrews (Feb 14, 2011)

taxlady said:


> I liked finding some that *prove I'm human*


 

Pssst....don't tell your family. They might still believe you're Wonder Woman!!


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## CWS4322 (Feb 14, 2011)

Lean Pocket said:


> So you can bring the tree indoors? I am curious to try that! How often do you water it? And do you have it in a 5 gallon pot or larger pot?


 
I got mine at a nursery last spring. I was told to not let it bloom for at least 5-7 years. At the nursery, they have one that is about 12 feet tall) and it produces lemons. I bring mine inside for the winter, out for the summer. I have several 6 ft. grapefruit trees that I put outside in the summer, in for the winter. I have them on boards with wheels on inside so I can move them around and I wheel them out on their "coasters" in the spring.


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## CWS4322 (Feb 14, 2011)

taxlady said:


> Yeah, bottled lemon juice has a nasty aftertaste. It's the sodium bisulfite?, bisulfate? anyway, something like that. I noticed the nasty taste when a friend used it in her hummus.
> 
> I buy organic lemon juice in a bottle and it's much nicer. It's not quite like fresh lemon, but almost.


 
Whenever lemons, limes, oranges, or grapefruit are in season, I buy a bunch and juice them. I freeze the juice and then zest the rinds and freeze that as well.  (What are all these bags of icecubes?) I haven't noticed a bitter taste...I also will store my limes and lemons in a jar of water in the fridge...a friend from Greece did that..I change the water about 1x/week.


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## taxlady (Feb 15, 2011)

CWS4322 said:


> Whenever lemons, limes, oranges, or grapefruit are in season, I buy a bunch and juice them. I freeze the juice and then zest the rinds and freeze that as well.  (What are all these bags of icecubes?) I haven't noticed a bitter taste...I also will store my limes and lemons in a jar of water in the fridge...a friend from Greece did that..I change the water about 1x/week.



I always save the rind from organic oranges and lemons, if I don't need it right away.

Do you realize that most of the citrus that gets shipped north is dyed? The fruit is picked before it is ripe so it won't spoil on the way. The dye is only allowed on the skins of citrus. It's a carcinogen. Citrus Red 2 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


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## sparrowgrass (Feb 15, 2011)

My lemon tree is still little, and is in a 12 inch pot--about a gallon size, I think.  I will check it before I put it outside to see if it has outgrown its home.


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## Lean Pocket (Feb 15, 2011)

There is probably way worse than dye added!   The skin is soooo tough.  I've always wondered if they are coated in wax too??   Probably don't want to know


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## AnnieDrews (Feb 15, 2011)

taxlady said:


> I always save the rind from organic oranges and lemons, if I don't need it right away.
> 
> Do you realize that most of the citrus that gets shipped north is dyed? The fruit is picked before it is ripe so it won't spoil on the way. The dye is only allowed on the skins of citrus. It's a carcinogen. Citrus Red 2 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


 
Yikes, I used lime zest in my rice tonight.


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