Lemons are a popular fruit that are used by many people around the world to add flavor and taste to various culinary dishes. They give an exquisite flavor to baked goods, sauces, salad dressings, marinade, drinks and desserts. Despite their popularity in the culinary field, they are rarely consumed on their own due to their intense sour taste. This blog will go over the different types of lemons so you may be able to increase your knowledge of this small, wondrous fruit.
Lemon Health Benefits
Coupled with their ability to enhance the taste of a dish, they also have many health benefits. They are a great source of Vitamin C. One 58 gm of lemon can provide over 30 mg of Vitamin C. The fact that it has a high content of Vitamin C and can aid in the prevention of many diseases has been known for a long period of time.
This is the reason early explorers used to taken lemons with them on their long voyages. They used it with their food to prevent scurvy, a life-threatening disease that was common amongst the sailors in those days. Lemons are also known to lower stroke risk, prevent cancer, maintain a healthy complexion, increase iron absorption, prevent asthma, boost the immune system and aid in weight loss.
It is not only the juice of the lemon that is beneficial. All the different parts of the lemon have its own uses and applications.
- The lemon blossom are the pretty flowers, and though they are not edible, they can be used for decoration in cakes and other foods.
- The lemon juice is the most commonly used part of the lemon. It is used to garnish food and adds a nice acidic bite to fish, poultry and salads.
- Lemon oil is used as a scent for personal use and around the house in furniture, polishes and soaps.
- Lemon Rind is the yellow skin on the outside of the lemon. It can be cut in strips or zested to add flavor to desserts and savory dishes.
- Lemon Peel is the yellow rind with the white pith attached to it. It is used to derive lemon oil and can also be used to garnish espresso.
Read our popular article - 23 Different Types of Melons to Add Sweetness to Your Life
Different Types of Lemons
With the various applications and benefits of lemons, it is important to know about the various kinds of lemon available in the market. When you go to the supermarket to purchase lemon or limes, you would think that there are a few varieties available. However, you would be surprised to see that they are lots (more than 20) different types of lemons available. Who would have thought that lemons come in so many types?
1. Eureka Lemons
These lemons have a yellow exterior with green streaks on them while they are being harvested. They show a pale-yellow colored when they are ready to be harvested. They are very popular and are grown around the world excluding a few Mediterranean countries. They have a prominent nipple whey they are ripe as opposed to being smooth and round.
2. Ponderosa Lemon
The Ponderosa lemons were discovered in Maryland and are a hybrid between the citron and lemon. They have a thick and bumpy skin, with a citrusy flavored flesh within. They are slightly smaller in size and are very sensitive to the cold. They do not have a very sour taste to it which makes them a great addition to desserts.
3. Finger Citron
This is a particularly fragrant lemon growing in lower regions of the Himalayas, also known as Buddha’s hand lemons. They actually look like fingers, which is why the name is given to them. There are actually a symbol of good fortune, longevity and happiness and are used in temple offering in China. They have a bright yellow skin and a whitish shade of flesh. They can be used in a huge variety of culinary dishes due to their distinct flavor.
4. Citron
This is a dry lemon found in India and the Himalayas. Due to the dry nature of this fruit, the flesh lacks juiciness. All parts of these lemons can be used including the pith and the rind in cooking. The oil extracted from these lemons is very popular in fragrances and the pith is used in gourmet treats and candy. The citron lemon also has a lot of health benefits and medicinal use. They help in alleviating nausea and digestive upsets.
5. Corfu Etrog
This type of Lemon, also known as the Green Citron, is found in the lonian Islands. The Corfu Etrog is also a very dry lemon producing very little juice. It has a pear shape to it as opposed to the common roundish shape of most lemons. The Corfu Etorg is not as strong as other lemons and has a slight bitter taste. It has a very pleasant taste and is used to enhance any dish with the aromatic fragrances.
6. Meyer Lemon
A hybrid between a mandarin and a lemon, the Meyer Lemon can be round or oval like an egg. Grown in California, these lemons have a soft, think orange rind on it. The pulp is orangish-yellow, and it is bursting with juice. One lemon can give a lot of juice and syrup.
The Meyer Lemon has a pleasant, floral aroma to it and is very sweet to taste. It is also acidic giving the perfect balance between sweetness and tartness. They go very well in desserts and drinks such as mocktails, sorbets and tarts. They are available all year round and they are only picked when they are fully ripe.
7. Verna Lemon
The Verna lemon has originated in Spain and is very similar to the Eureka Lemon. They have a thick skin and are larger than most lemons. They have a lot of juice with very few seeds and are ideal for use in most culinary dishes. The Verna Lemon tree needs a lot of sun and will give a crop yield twice a year.
8. Bush Lemon
The Bush lemon comes from Australia and has a thick and bumpy skin. The rind has a very strong lemon flavor, and it is used abundantly in seasoning smoker recipes to get a strong citrus flavor flowing through the dish. The Bush lemon is dry and doesn’t produce a lot of juice though and it is the rind that will be used for the seasoning.
9. Pink Variegated Lemon
These lemons have very few seeds and have a low acid content. The Pink Variegated lemons are round, and they have green stripes on them when they are still not completely ripe. The inner flesh of this lemon is pale pink in color, which gives the lemon its name. They have a slightly bittersweet taste, and the color and taste of these lemons make them perfect for garnishing various dishes and salads.
10. Primofiori Lemon
This lemon is also known as Fino lemon, Mesero lemon or Balnco lemon and hails from Spain. The Primofiori lemon has a thin and smooth skin. They are round with a pale-yellow color. These lemons are very juicy and give a lot of juice that is used in cooking and for seasoning many dishes.
11. Lisbon Lemon
The Lisbon lemon has originated in Portugal but are also commonly grown in many parts of the United States. They are harvested in spring and winter and bear fruits all year rounds. They Lisbon lemons have a very acidic taste, and the fruit has no seeds. They have a skin of medium thickness and they grow very well in cool temperatures.
12. Mediterranean Sweet Lemon
These Lemons can be eaten like some fruit, as you do not need to squeeze the juice. The lemons are sweet, and they are also referred to as Sweet Lime or Sweet Limetta. They are distinguished from other lemons due to the absence of the acidic taste. The sweet taste makes them more palatable.
They come in many different sizes and shapes and the color of these lemons range from yellow to light orange.
13. Interdonato Lemon
The Interdonato lemon originates from Italy and Turkey but they can be found abundantly in California. They are a hybrid between a lemon and a citron and are one of the first lemons to bloom in the spring. They have a mild bitter taste and produces a small amount of juice. They are rounded in shape with a bright yellow coloring to them.
The Interdonato lemons are slightly larger in size compared to other lemons and grow better in cooler weather conditions.
14. Lemonade Lemon
A hybrid between a lemon and a mandarin orange, the lemonade lemon is found in Australia and New Zealand. True to its name, it is used abundantly in making lemonade as they have a slightly sweet flavor with low acidic content. These lemons have a rounded shape, and their color varies from bright yellow to green. They have a very thin skin, and the juicy pulp produces a lot of juice.
They are grown and available all year around and make for a great thirst-quenching drink on a hot day.
15. Otaheite Lemon
The Otaheite Lemon is very small in size having an orange-colored skin. This lemon is an acid less fruit and is very sweet to taste. The lemons are rounded, and the orange skin encloses a light orange and white pulp. The Otaheite lemon plant is very pretty and is used for decorative purposes as well.
It produces very pretty flowers and coupled with the small orange fruit; it makes a good site for sore eyes.
16. Femminello St. Teresa Lemons
These lemons are native to Italy and are popular in that part of the world. They are rarely found in other parts of world. The Femminello St. Teresa Lemons are very acidic in flavor and have a thick skin. They are rounded with a slight nipple at the end and are yellowish in color. The acidic nature makes them very tarty and they are used in many culinary dishes.
17. Dorshapo Lemons
The Dorshapo lemon is a very popular and different type of lemon. They are very sweet to taste and do not have a hint of the acidic nature of lemons. They are native to Brazil and were discovered by three explores named; Doresett, Shamel and Popenoe. The Lemon is named after them, hence the name Dorshapo.
18. Baboon Lemon
The baboon lemons are found and cultivated in Brazil. Unlike the Dorshapo lemon, they are acidic in nature. They have a bright yellow skin enclosing a paler colored pulp. The baboon lemons have a sour taste like lime. The rind and pulp of this lemon is used in the preparation of different sauces such as the barbeque and pasta sauce.
19. Bearss Lemon
The Bearss lemon were originally grown in Italy but are now being grown in other parts of the world such as Florida. These are very popular as they contain a lot of lemon oil in their peel. They are round and green in color.
20. Kagzi Lime
Kagzi Lime is bigger in size compared to other limes and is very popular in India. This Lime is sweet to taste and has a lot of nutritional and medicinal benefits. The juice of this lime is very valuable as it can ease off irritation and swelling caused by mosquito bites.
The Kazmi lime has a sweet, pleasant flavor in addition to being useful.
