Meyer lemon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Meyer lemon |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Citrus
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| Species: |
× meyeri
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Citrus × meyeri, the Meyer lemon (Chinese: 梅尔柠檬 méi ěr níngméng), is a hybrid citrus fruit native to China. It is a cross between a citron and a mandarin/pomelo hybrid.
Mature trees are around 6 to 10 ft (2 to 3 m) tall with dark green shiny leaves. Flowers are white with a purple base and fragrant. The fruit is rounder than a true lemon, deep yellow with a slight orange tint when ripe, and has a sweeter, less acidic flavor. The lemons contain a highly acidic pH of between 2 and 3. This acidity level allows for these lemons to be used as antibacterial and antiseptic cleaners.
It was introduced to the United States in 1908 as S.P.I. #23028 by the agricultural explorer Frank Nicholas Meyer, an employee of the United States Department of Agriculture who collected a sample of the plant on a trip to China. Though it is given his name, this variety was established likely thousands of years before he introduced it to America.
The Meyer lemon is commonly grown in China in garden pots as an ornamental tree. It became popular as a food item in the United States after being rediscovered by chefs such as Alice Waters at Chez Panisse during the rise of California cuisine starting in the 1970s. Popularity further climbed when Martha Stewart began featuring them in some of her recipes.
Description
Citrus × meyeri trees are around 6 to 10 ft (2 to 3 m) tall at maturity, though they can be pruned smaller. Their leaves are dark green and shiny. The flowers are white with a purple base and fragrant.
The Meyer lemon fruit is yellow and rounder than a true lemon. The skin is fragrant and thin, colored a deep yellow with a slight orange tint when ripe. Meyer lemon fruits have a sweeter, less acidic flavor than the more common Lisbon or Eureka supermarket lemon varieties. The pulp is a dark yellow and contains up to 10 seeds per fruit.
Cultivation
The Meyer lemon is popular as an ornamental plant for its compact size, hardiness and productivity. It is decorative and suitable for container growing. It is one of the sweetest lemons and even the skin is edible. Growing a Meyer lemon tree can either be done in a pot or straight from the ground, but the plant requires plenty of sunlight. However, too much sunlight is possible and can even burn the plant if exposed for long periods of time. This is why summer sun, morning sunlight and some afternoon shade is the most ideal for taking the best care of the lemon tree. The tree is reasonably hardy and grows well in warm climates. It is fairly vigorous, with a plant grown from a young graft usually beginning to fruit in four years, yielding thousands of lemons over its lifetime. These plants require an adequate amount of water, but well-drained soil is crucial. However, allowing the soil to dry out slightly between watering keeps the plant moist enough, but not too moist or dry. Along with watering and sunlight, Meyer lemon trees need high nitrogen fertilizer that is slow-releasing. These plants should only be given fertilizer within the growing season (spring-fall) and never in the winter, unless the leaves are yellowing then they should be given water and fertilizer. While fruit is produced throughout the year, the majority of the crop is harvest-ready in winter. Trees require adequate water, but less in the winter. For maximum yield, they should be fertilized during growing periods. New branches are thorny to protect the young shoots, but the thorns transform into secondary branches with age. A very important role when it comes to growing the most successful tree is pruning, this keeps the plant in shape and avoids overcrowding of unnecessary plants to leave room for the lemons. It allows the plant to receive the proper airflow which enhances the plant to grow strong and well, while also preventing the plant from any potential diseases.
New leaves are an attractive food source to swallowtail butterfly larvae.
Culinary uses
The juice of the lemon can be used to make beverages such as cocktails and lemonade. This lemon juice can be used to tenderize meat and partially hydrolyze tough collagen fibers; the low pH denatures the proteins, causing them to dry out when the meat is cooked. The juice is also used as a substitute for vinegar in salad dressings and is used to enhance flavors of vegetables. The lemon zest—the grated outer rind of the fruit—is used to add flavor to other dishes.
Improved Meyer
By the mid-1940s, the Meyer lemon had become widely grown in California. However, at that time it was discovered that a majority of the Meyer lemon trees being cloned were symptomless carriers of the Citrus tristeza virus, a virus which had killed millions of citrus trees all over the world and rendered other millions useless for production. After this finding, most of the Meyer lemon trees in the United States were destroyed to save other citrus trees. The Meyer lemon is also known as the Valley Lemon.
A virus-free selection was found in the 1950s and was certified and released in 1975 by the University of California as the 'Improved Meyer lemon' – Citrus × meyeri 'Improved'.
