lemons

Lemon is an evergreen tree native to Asia. They first grew in India, northern Burma and China. In 700 AD they were introduced to Iraq, Egypt and Persia. In the 15th century substantial lemon cultivation began in Genoa and they were introduced to the New World by Christopher Columbus in his second trip. Today they grow all over the world, the major producers are the USA, Spain, Italy, Israel and Turkey.

Lemons are oval in shape, they have a yellow texture outer peel and their inner flesh is encased in segments, 8 to 10 per lemon. The fruit is used for culinary and non culinary purposes. Primarily we use the juice. The pulp and rind are used for cooking and baking.

Lemon juice is used as a short term preservative on certain foods that tend to oxidize and turn brown after being sliced, as apples, bananas and avocados. The acid juice denatures the enzymes that cause browning and degrading.

Nutritional Value

One lemon averages 3 tablespoons of juice. It contains vitamin C, calcium, potassium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus and some vitamin P as well as some niacin and thiamine in small amounts.

• They are rich on vitamin C, four tablespoons will give you half the vitamin C you 'll need for the day. Vitamin C travels through the body neutralizing free radicals that can damage cells and cause inflammation or swelling relieving the symptoms of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
• Lemons relieve cold and flu symptoms, strengthening the immune system.
• They are diuretic, they give relief to kidney and bladder disorders.
• Lemons contain compounds called limonoids, one of them is called limonin and helps fighting cancer of the mouth, skin, lung, breast , stomach and colon.
• Lemon juice mixed with hot water is very effective curing many digestive ailments as heartburn, nausea, constipation and worm infestation.
• They alleviate dry mouth, mix water with few drops of lemon juice , it activates the production of saliva.
• To relieve the swelling and itching of insect bites rubbed them with lemon juice, in few minutes the swelling disappears and the itching is gone.
•  Lemon rind is rich in a compound called rutin which strengthens the walls of veins and capillaries, potentially reducing the pain and swelling of varicose veins.
• They are rich in antioxidants. 

Varieties

There are many varieties, the most popular being the Eureka, which grows all year-round and it is the one we find in every supermarket. Other varieties include Lisbon, which is very bitter and Meyer which is a cross between orange or mandarin and lemon. It was discovered by Frank Meyer in 1918, it has a very thin skin and is less acidic than Lisbon and Eureka.