The (not so) bitter lemon: New fruit is crossed with mandarin for sweeter taste

For the normally bitter flavour is absent from the Meyer lemon (pictured) – a naturally occurring cross between a lemon and a mandarin.

The first sweet lemon to be sold commercially in this country can be eaten much like an orange, but it is best used in thin slices – peel, pith and all.


Supplies grown in California are now being shipped to the UK and will be stocked by Tesco from this weekend.

Tesco citrus fruit buyer Tim Battey said: 'This fruit is a cook's dream as it has all the zestiness of a lemon but with the sweetness of a tart orange instead of a harsh sting.'


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2261152/The-bitter-lemon-New-fruit-crossed-mandarin-sweeter-taste.html#ixzz2HkraCYvP
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I was quite amazed to find the common Meyer Lemon being given main press new fruit status.
I guess I'm just familiar with tree loads outside my door.

New fruit?

wanna get the seeds ...

By co-incidence, I was in a Tesco supermarket on Friday, looking for Seville Oranges when I noticed they were selling 'speciality packs' of Californian Meyers Lemons. I have only once before seen these fruits for sale in England.
Personally, I have never been a fan of Meyers Lemons. To me, for use in cooking, they don't have enough of the acidic tang of the true lemon and they are not sweet enough to enjoy like an orange.
The article claims

Quote:

In fact, the tree itself is quite hardy and can be grown in the UK in protected sites outdoors. Until now, this has been the easiest way for Britons to get their hands on sweet lemons.

This really isn't true. I have never seen, or heard of, a Meyer's Lemon growing outside anywhere in the UK. Maybe it's possible in some really protected coastal locations, or against a wall in central London but for most of the country it's not realistic.

Have you tried one in the ground Mike? Mine has seen 17F one winter years ago & wasn't fazed at all. No damage at all.

This reminds me, I have a few hundred to pick tomorrow.

No, it's true I haven't actually tried one outside! Because whenever I plant true citrus outside, they die. I don't think it's the absolute minimum temperature that kills them (although we had -12C, 10F here last winter) but the prolonged cool and damp, with frosts possible at any time for 7 months. And short, not-so-hot summers to recover.
As an experiment, this spring I'll propagate from my Meyers and plant the old one outside.
Poor thing - you've sent it to an early grave!
Mike/Citrange

I saw a lemon (no fruit) at a south wall in Jersey ... maybe you should grow your Meyer same ...

For those who don't know - Jersey is a semi-independant British island, part of the Channels Isles, off the coast of France, about 100 miles or so from the rest of the UK.
So the lemon you saw was further south, a coastal location with a milder climate, and a south-facing wall for protection.
With those conditions, yes, I'm sure some citrus could survive.

Some of our supermarkets are loaded with citruses from Turkey right now . Principally Meyer lemons and Lamas lemons.

http://www.citrusvariety.ucr.edu/citrus/lamas.html

http://www.aksun.com.tr/en/narenciye.php