Siracusa lemon facts for kids

The Siracusa lemon (called Limone di Siracusa IGP in Italian) is a special type of lemon. It comes from a plant known as "femminello" and its related types. This lemon is very common in Italy. It produces fruit three times a year:

• The primofiore (meaning "first flower") ripens from October 1st.
• The bianchetto (sometimes called maiolino) ripens from April 15th.
• The verdello (or summer lemon) ripens from July 1st.

Because of special rules for the Siracusa Lemon (which has a Protected Geographical Indication, or PGI), farmers are not allowed to use waxes or special sprays after picking the fruit. This means you can eat every part of the lemon!

Siracusa lemons growing in a field.

Where Did Siracusa Lemons Come From?

Lemons first grew in a country called Myanmar (also known as Burma). From there, they traveled across the Middle East and Syria (region) to the Mediterranean Sea. The Mediterranean area, including Italy, Spain, Greece, and Turkey, has the perfect weather for lemons to grow well. Other places like California, Uruguay, Argentina, and South Africa also have good conditions.

Hundreds of years ago, around the 1400s and 1500s, only rich people used lemons. They were seen as a luxury food.

How Lemons Became Important in Siracusa

People started growing lemons much more in Siracusa from the early 1600s. A group called the Jesuits, who were very good farmers, helped with this. Lemons soon became a major source of wealth for the region. By 1891, Siracusa was producing about 11,500 tonnes of lemons!

This success led to new industries in Sicily. Factories began to extract juice, calcium citrate, and citric acid from the lemons. The Siracusa lemon became very popular in other countries, especially in the United States and England. Old records from the 1700s and 1800s show that lemons, oranges, and lemon products were shipped from Siracusa to many ports, including London, Liverpool, and New York.

Even with cities growing and new factories being built after World War II, lemon farming in Siracusa continued to be very important. Today, Siracusa is known for producing high-quality fresh lemons for both Italian and European markets. On February 3, 2011, the "Limone di Siracusa" officially received its PGI status. This means it's a special product from a specific area.

What Makes Siracusa Lemons Special?

The Siracusa lemon is known for having a lot of juice. Its skin also has many tiny pockets filled with high-quality essential oils.

The type of lemon grown in Siracusa is called femminello. This name comes from the fact that the plant is very fertile and produces flowers and fruit all year round.

Different Kinds of Siracusa Lemons

• The primofiore (first flower) ripens from October 1st. It's shaped like an oval. Its skin and inside can be light green to lemon-yellow. The juice is lemon-yellow.
• The bianchetto ripens from April 15th. It's shaped like an egg. It has light yellow skin, yellow flesh, and lemon-yellow juice.
• The verdello ripens from July 1st. It's a round-oval shape. It has light green skin, and its flesh and juice are lemon-yellow.

How Siracusa Lemons Are Grown

Farmers plant the lemon trees carefully, making sure there's enough space for them to grow. They can use traditional, integrated, or organic farming methods. All farming tasks are done to keep the plants healthy and ensure they get enough air and sunlight. When it's time to harvest, workers pick each lemon by hand directly from the tree, using special clippers to cut the stem.

Where Do Siracusa Lemons Go?

The Siracusa lemon makes up more than 30% of all lemons grown in Italy. Most of these lemons are sold in large supermarkets across Italy, especially in the northern parts.

Exporting Siracusa Lemons

Siracusa lemons are also sent to other countries in Europe, like Germany, Austria, France, the United Kingdom, and Denmark. Outside of Europe, Norway is a big market for them.

When you see them in stores, they are branded as "Limone di Siracusa IGP." They can be sold loose or in special boxes, nets, or bags. Only the best quality lemons, called "Extra" and "Prima," are sold fresh. Lower quality lemons can be used for processing.

How Siracusa Lemons Are Used

Siracusa lemons are used in many different ways, not just as fresh fruit. They are important in:

• The food and drink industries (for juice and flavor).
• Medical and scientific uses.
• Making cosmetics and perfumes (using their essential oils).

Fun Facts About Siracusa Lemons

The festival of Santa Lucia, the patron saint of Siracusa.

Every year on December 13th, the city of Siracusa celebrates the festival of its patron saint, Santa Lucia. There's a long parade from the main square in Ortigia to the Church of Santa Lucia al Sepolcro. Eight days later, on December 20th, the parade goes back the same way.

On December 13th, large candles around the statue of Santa Lucia are decorated with flowers. But on December 20th, the silver statue is decorated with candles that have lemons and oranges on them! This shows how important these fruits are to the city's traditions.

Siracusa Lemons in Europe

Italy has a lot of land used for growing lemons, about 16,693 hectares (which is about 41,250 acres). The Siracusa lemon alone covers almost 6,000 hectares, making up more than 30% of Italy's total lemon production.

The area where Siracusa lemons are grown stretches along the coast and into some inland areas across 10 towns in the Province of Siracusa, in Sicily. These towns include Augusta, Avola, Melilli, Noto, Siracusa, Floridia, Solarino, Priolo Gargallo, Rosolini, and Sortino.

PGI Lemons Across the European Union

The European Union has nine special PGI names for lemons. Six of these are from Italy, one from France, one from Spain, and one from Portugal.

Here's a look at some PGI lemon varieties and how much land they cover:

Besides the Siracusa lemon, other Italian PGI lemons include the "Limone di Sorrento," "Limone Costa d'Amalfi," "Interdonato di Messina," "Femminello del Gargano," and "Limone di Rocca Imperiale." France has the "Citron de Menton," Spain has the "Citricos Valencianos," and Portugal has the "Citrinos do Algarve."

The Siracusa Lemon Consortium

The Consortium for the Protection of the Siracusa Lemon PGI (Consorzio di Tutela del Limone di Siracusa IGP) was started on July 13, 2000. This group doesn't sell lemons itself, but its members do.

The Consortium's main jobs are:

• To define the areas and types of lemons that can be called "Siracusa Lemon PGI."
• To monitor the growing areas and markets to make sure the "Siracusa Lemon PGI" name is used correctly.
• To promote and share information about the PGI product both in Italy and around the world.

As of 2018, the President of the Consortium is Michele Salvatore Lonzi.