Something New -The Meyer Lemon

One of my goals in my quest to be vegetarian has been to try new fruits and vegetables.

And in the latest issue of Vegetarian Times, I read about the Meyer lemon.

Why, you may ask, did I find it interesting?

Because I've seen it in my local Whole Food store.

I think, "Oh that's a pretty lemon! Don't look like a normal lemon!"

But the price - $2.99 a pound- I kept it moving!

But reading that aritcle helped me put that lemon on my "to try" list.

The Meyer lemon is a little different from your average everyday lemon.

You'll notice that it's a little darker in color, a tad bit rounder, and a smaller.

Here's a picture of the two different types of lemons all mixed together. You might be able to tell the differences...

The lemons we buy in the store, the Eureka and Lisbon lemons, are more common because they tend to grow year round and are easy to ship. They are hearty and have a thin skin.

The Meyer lemon is a little different. Those have a season (they are in season now, hence the article). They are thin skinned and a bit more fragile than regular lemons. (I found uh, it was a bit TOO easy to crush them, lol).


Here's what I find interesting about the Meyer lemon: it is a cross betwwen a lemon and an orange. That didn't necessarily make it sweet, but it's less acidic and a tad less tart than a regular lemon. It tastes like someone put a teaspoon of orange juice in lemon juice. It even smells a litte different.

I drink A LOT of water (upwards of 1 gallon a day at times) and it helps to squeeze lemon in my water.

So finding this lemon was a nice change of pace.

They don't hold up as long as regular lemons. Shelf life is estimated to be about 2 weeks.

But I bought a few... (Whole Foods had them for $2.99/pound; Dekalb Farmers Market- $1.99/pound) and I like them... They are VERY easy to squeeze and give more juice than regular lemons.

Definitely glad I gave them a try!