Information on Lemons: An Overview
The lemon belongs to the family Rutaceae. It is classified as Citris limon. The tree is an evergreen and reaches 3 to 6 meters in height. Lemons are cultivated throughout the world from California to the Middle East. Lemons were first brought from the Middle East during the Middle Ages.
The main types of lemons produced in the United States are the Eureka, Lisbon, Genoa, Sicily, Belair, and Villafranca varieties. Some lemons are produced in Arizona and Florida, but most of the commercial crop is grown in southern California, where production averages about 90 percent of the annual U.S. output.
The fruit is pale yellow, elliptically shaped, and has a small nipple like protuberance at the apex. The fruit is covered by a layer of protection known as a rind which is used in perfumes and lemon flavoring. The spongy white layer between the rind and pulp is the mesocarp, which is rich in Vitamin P and contains a substance known as citrin.
Lemon juice is used widely in various types of beverages such as lemonade, iced tea, and even sodas. It is also commonly used in food ingredients like salad dressings, mayonnaise, tartar sauce, and other types of fish flavorings. The pulp of the lemon is used commercially in the manufacturing of citric acid, and is now used in making concentrated lemon juice which is used medicinally for its high vitamin C content.