I woke up this morning craving a slice of the Meyer lemon pound cake I made a few years back and now I have lemons on my mind. But where does one find Meyer lemons in Maine?
Maybe I’ll try Rising Tide Co-Op again. After all, they had those Seville oranges last year, so they might have Meyer lemons. Yep. I think that will be my mission for today.
Anyway, while I was dreaming of having a slice of that cake, I did a little research, and it seems there are quite a few interesting facts about lemons I didn’t know before. Here are 10 I thought were super interesting.
1. The wonderful lemon may help protect against anemia, prevent the formation of kidney stones, and reduce your risk of heart disease and cancer. I need more lemons in my life.
2. California and Arizona are the biggest producers of lemons in the United States. Maine is way down on the list. š
3. The average lemon contains about 3 tablespoons of juice. {I would think it would be more than that, huh.}
4. Lemons used to be carried on ships to prevent scurvy in the old days. The British Navy still keeps them on board for lemonade and juice, and maybe just for old times’ sake.
5. Lemons are the only food in the world that are anionic. Yeah, I had to look it up too. Lemons are good for you bottom line. Go on, look it up.
6. Got yourself a stinky cutting board from garlic, onions and other smelly items? Rub some fresh lemon juice all over the board while cleaning when needed. Ah, nice and fresh!
7. I love guacamole. I donāt like brown guacamole. Add some lemon juice and it will keep it from turning the dreaded brown color. Iām sure it would taste the same. Itās a visual thing people.
8. The lemon was brought to the Americas by Christopher Columbus in 1493. He was like Johnny Appleseed, but with lemons.
9. Lemon juice can be used to enhance blond in your hair. I remember this being a big thing back in the day. There must be some horror stories out there. Have you tried this?
10. You can use lemon juice as invisible ink. Seriously, I just watched a video on it. You develop it with heat. Who knew?
Have an awesome day,
~Mavis
Linda says
Very interesting.
I think you’ve mentioned shopping in Aldi’s, but can’t remember for sure. I get Meyer lemons there.
Will you ever try growing another Meyer lemon tree? I’m on my third tree and it’s such a pathetic thing.
Mavis Butterfield says
Unfortunately we are no longer anywhere an ALDI’s, I loved shopping there. And yes, I think I might get another Meyer lemon tree, they are so much fun to grow.
Diane says
Can you substitute regular lemons in this recipe or will they be too tart? Iāve never had a Meyer lemon so Iām not sure how different they taste.
Dianne says
A Meyer lemon is a cross between a lemon and a tangerine. I find them just a bit sweeter and not as astringent. So, it might be a bit sour. You would just need to add maybe a bit more of sugar.
On a side note – in the 70’s, we lighten our hair with lemon juice. The kind that came from a bottle! LOL – and it does work. Looked liked the hair was highlighted.
Connie says
I just bought a bag recently. I bet you can find them. Making that recipe this weekend.
Thanks
Cynthia says
Just for fun I bought a 1′ meyer lemon tree 2 years ago. It’s now about 3′ tall and I have my first blooms! I have it in a container that is outside in warmer months and I bring it in during the winter. I hope I’ll get a few lemons next fall.
Ruth says
Have you ever cut into a lemon and found it was mostly rind and peel, with very little juice?
My Motherās tip: buy a heavy lemon. Thereās a lot of variability in lemons. Most shoppers go for a pretty lemon for garnishing, etc. When you select the heavy lemon youāre getting more juice (and more value for your money.
Just āweighā them in your palmā¦youāll feel the difference.
Terri says
Lemons degrade tooth enamel…seriously.
Cindy Brick says
I used to use lemon juice on my hair. (I’m a natural blond who went darker, particularly after I had kids. Go figure.) It did work somewhat.
You can get more juice out of the lemons you have, if you nuke them for 30 seconds or so. (Freezing them make help, too.)
Mavis, did you get a “free stuff” box from your mom this past Christmas? How about your kids and/or HH? I love hearing about these…
Mavis Butterfield says
No “free” boxes this year, or last.
Lace Faerie says
Lemon juice and sunshine may work for natural blondes with ash tones. Those with any golden hue may find lemon juice and sunshine gives them orange hair. My younger sister can attest to that! It took a lot of toner to bring her hair back from Bozo the Clown hair to a softer strawberry blonde till it grew out long enough for her to cut it all off.
Deborah says
I love lemon anything. Since I have dentures,Iām donāt worry too much about enamel. LOL I do love to eat sliced lemon, with a little salt. Yumm, so good. I need to make myself a lemon pound cake. Itās been too long.
Julia Park Tracey says
Whatever happened to Miss Lemon? Did she stay with the old house?
Carol Stride says
I have a tree loaded with Meyers Lemons down here in Florida. Would you like me to send you some?
Jenny says
I LOVE lemons, too, and always have! I drank LJ out of the bottle as a kid sometimes. Now I a always have a few in the fridge, since I drink iced tea year-around, and a few drop or a little grated rind improves lots of recipes. Meyer lemons and Key limes are just expensive variations, and any sweet or savory lemon recipe works with regular lemons. Winter is a great time for citrus fruits! I’d love to grow a lemon tree- my trainer has a twenty year old one at the gym, about 3-4 feet tall now, which grows VERY slowly and gets a few blossoms each year, and once developed a nubby little fruit thing that fell off. It goes outside in the Illinois summer. We’re pretty far down on the lemon production list in the Midwest, too! A lemon here is 1 or 2 for a dollar, all the time.
Hawaii Planner says
My Meyer tree is just ripening & ready to be picked here in California, so your timing is perfect! I will give that recipe a try. We are boring, and tend to just use lemons to dress salads.