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are meyer lemons seasonal

by Orland Prosacco Jr. Published 4 years ago Updated 3 years ago

Meyer lemons are available in stores between December and May. Their limited season and fragile skin (which makes them more difficult to ship) naturally makes them more expensive and harder to get your hands on than regular lemons. Though the season may be short, you can easily extend it with the help of your freezer.

When should you pick Meyer lemons?

How to Harvest Meyer Improved Lemons

  • Harvesting and Freezing Weather. Meyer lemons will likely have fruit on the tree all year, which means year-round harvesting. ...
  • Meyer Lemons and Ripeness. The color of a lemon, including a Meyer lemon, is not the only indicator the fruit is ready. ...
  • Harvest Method. ...
  • Future Fruit Production. ...

What is the difference between Meyer lemons and regular lemons?

  • Appearance – Meyer lemons are smaller and more round than regular lemons, with smoother, thin, deep yellow to orange skin, and dark yellow pulp. ...
  • Taste – While they’re moderately acidic, Meyer lemons don’t have the same tang as regular lemons. ...
  • Availability – While regular lemons are readily available all year long, Meyer lemons are more seasonal. ...

When to pick Meyer lemons off tree?

When to Pick Fruit for the Best Flavor

  • Navel oranges - These produce early and are at their best between November and February. ...
  • Valencia oranges - You’ll find these ready to harvest later in the season. ...
  • Tangerines - These usher in citrus season and are one of the first fruits you can pick. ...
  • Tangelos - This hybrid fruit is ready for harvest a little later than tangerines. ...

More items...

When life gives you Meyer lemons?

When my Meyer’s lemon tree, heavy with fruit ... The following recipe serves four for a meal and eight as an appetizer. “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade” was a phrase coined by American author Dale Carnegie. Carnegie, author of the ...

Are Meyer lemons available year round?

Availability – While regular lemons are readily available all year long, Meyer lemons are more seasonal. Your best bet for finding them is from December through May.Mar 10, 2015

How long is the Meyer lemon season?

Meyer lemon season usually begins in late November or early December and ends by March. Their limited window of availability, coupled with their more fragile nature (which makes shipping them more difficult), naturally makes them more expensive than hardier, year-round regular lemons too.Dec 8, 2020

What season does Meyer lemon fruit?

Meyer lemon trees typically flower and fruit all year (and heavily in fall and winter), starting when they are about 3 to 5 years old.

Can you get Meyer lemons in the summer?

Basics of Meyer Lemon Growing In the hottest summer areas, morning sun and afternoon shade are best for growing Meyer lemons. Start with a healthy tree, grafted onto a hardy rootstock.Apr 5, 2021

Can I leave my lemon tree outside in winter?

While your lemon trees can survive a few chilly nights with the proper protection, too many freezing nights will decrease their likelihood of survival. Depending on which zone you live in, you may be able to choose whether or not to keep your tree outdoors during the winter holidays.Dec 6, 2021

What time of year do lemon trees produce fruit?

"Eureka" lemons can often be picked year round, but the primary season of harvest is from late winter to early summer. The "Lisbon" variety also produces fruit sporadically throughout the year, though the main season is in winter and early spring.Dec 9, 2018

How do you take care of a Meyer lemon tree in the winter?

Meyer Lemon Trees are very cold hardy and can withstand temperatures down to about 20 degrees. If your area gets colder than that, your tree will need to be planted in a container and brought inside when the temperature drops. But when they're inside, winter heat can dry them out.Mar 17, 2022

Why does my lemon tree flower but no fruit?

Flowers lead to fruit, and a lack of blooms means your tree cannot produce. Some reasons for this would be incorrect cultivation, lack of nutrients, insufficient water and bad rootstock. If the plant does bloom but still fails to fruit, this might be because the tree is not old enough.Jun 6, 2021

What's the difference between regular lemons and Meyer Lemons?

Regular lemons are much larger in size and brighter in color when compared to Meyer Lemons. Meyer lemons have a deep yellow skin and dark yellow pulp. Their skin is smoother than that of a regular lemon. And they're smaller in size and more round than regular lemons.

What temperatures can a Meyer lemon tree tolerate?

Meyer lemon trees thrive between roughly 50 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. If the temperature drops below 50 degrees Fahrenheit, you should bring your Meyer lemon tree indoors until it heats up again.

Are coffee grounds good for Meyer lemon trees?

Yes, coffee grounds are good for Lemon trees as they have a lot of Nitrogen as well as other required elements in trace amounts. With the right treatment, coffee grounds convert into a rich source of an important nutrient. One that lemon trees really do need for growth.

Do you need 2 lemon trees to produce fruit?

Lemon trees are self-pollinating, so you don't require an additional tree for the production of fruit. Don't worry if you notice your tree loaded with blooms that don't produce fruit and instead fall from the branches. It's normal for some of the blooms to be sterile and drop from the tree.Dec 15, 2018

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Meyer Lemon Tree Care

Meyer lemon trees do well in warm climates like Florida or California, where they’re popular as low-maintenance container-grown plants both outdoors and inside. They are slightly more cold-tolerant than Eureka and Lisbon lemon trees but still need a sheltered and sunny position to thrive.

Pruning Meyer Lemon Trees

How you prune your Meyer lemon tree is up to you, as the tree's general shape has no bearing on its ability to produce fruit. Many gardeners prefer to prune the tree so that it has an exposed trunk and traditional shape, while others opt for a hedge-like style.

Propagating Meyer Lemon Trees

Lemon trees are easier to propagate than some other citrus varieties. This can be done using semi-hardwood cuttings at any time of the year, but the process is most likely to succeed if the cutting is taken when the tree is in active growth. This means late spring or early summer cuttings are recommended.

Potting and Repotting Meyer Lemon Trees

When potting a Meyer lemon tree (or repotting a tree that has become too large for its container), choose a five-gallon or larger container that is at least 12 to 15 inches in height. Make sure the container has ample drainage holes.

Harvesting Meyer Lemons

Lemon trees grown indoors usually just fruit in the spring, while outdoor trees in warm climates will typically fruit year-round. Because citrus fruit will only continue to ripen while still on the tree, make sure to wait for your Meyer lemons to be ripe before picking.

Common Pests and Plant Diseases

Meyer lemon trees—and citrus trees in general—are typical targets for a variety of pests, including whiteflies, rust mites, mealybugs, aphids, and scale. While established adult trees usually can withstand an infestation or two, smaller, more vulnerable trees can be decimated by any one of these issues.

How to Get Meyer Lemon Trees to Bloom

Though not prized for its flowers, getting your Meyer lemon tree to bloom is still incredibly important, as that's how the tree produces fruit. Meyer lemon trees do not flower for the first few years of their life, so you can start keeping an eye out for blooms around the third or fourth year.

How to use Meyer lemons

Where Meyer lemons shine is in recipes designed with their sweeter nature in mind. This Meyer lemon ricotta cheesecake adds an almond crust for a nutty edge. These individual Meyer lemon tarts make a lemon filling with the sweetness of Meyer lemons in mind, so their unique flavor comes through.

How to grow Meyer lemons

Like all citrus, Meyer lemon trees like warmth—they can stand a bit of cold but frost is a killer, at least of that year’s crop. They also need plenty of water and good drainage. Meyer lemons have thin skins and the trees have delicate branches (at least compared to other citrus trees). For that reason, they don’t like wind.

When are Meyer lemons in season?

Whether you grow them yourself or are looking for them at the market, the time to expect fruit is January through May—although anecdotal experience says that depending on the location, recent pruning history, and recent harvest history can lead to harvests from an individual tree being much longer or much shorter.

What Do Meyer Lemons Taste Like?

The most apparent and important difference when it comes to using each type of lemon is the taste. Conventional lemons (which are generally either Eureka lemons or Lisbon lemons, essentially interchangeable) are tart enough to make your mouth pucker up.

Do Meyer Lemons Look Different?

Before lemons became a culinary crop, they were grown as ornamental plants, which makes sense when you behold a beautiful tree hung with bright citrus fruit. When you gaze at the fruit itself, you can see that Meyer lemons are smaller, often rounder, and smoother-skinned than their more common oblong and frequently-bumpy cousins.

When Are Meyer Lemons in Season?

The other thing that makes Meyer lemons so attractive is that they’re comparatively elusive. Meyer lemon season usually begins in late November or early December and ends by March.

What Can You Substitute for Meyer Lemons?

So, what can you do if you want to make a Meyer lemon recipe and you don’t have any of the titular ingredient on hand (and are fresh out of Meyer lemon infused products in your pantry too)? Substitute a mix of equal parts regular fresh lemon juice and orange or tangerine juice; the latter is a bit more complex and floral.

Meyer Lemon Recipes (and Regular Lemon Recipes Too)

Try some of these sunny recipes to spark your imagination—and your taste buds.

Meyer Lemon Thyme Icebox Cake

This beautiful icebox cake is simple to make, although if you’re feeling extra ambitious, try swapping in our Meyer Lemon Black Pepper Cookies for the store-bought lemon or vanilla wafers. They’ll add another layer of savory-sweet intrigue to the fabulously fragrant cake. Get the Meyer Lemon Thyme Icebox Cake recipe.

Meyer Lemon Tart

A lightly salted shortbread crust and a dash of honey in the filling are unexpectedly brilliant complements to this sweet and floral Meyer lemon tart. Get the Meyer Lemon Tart recipe.

Chef John's Dutch Babies

This dish is perfect for anyone who can't decide between sweet or savory. Reviewer Kelly2 says, "I loved the lemon-y, custard-y, creamy, and crispy eggy combination of this dish."

Meyer Lemon Pie

"A tangy sweet and sour treat, the Meyer lemons make it sweeter than a traditional lemon pie, but still keep that citrus kick," says recipe creator Melissa Cebrian.

Meyer Lemon Avocado Toast

A little Meyer juice and zest go a long way on this avocado toast. "I'm an avocado toast addict and let me just say, the lemon zest adds a whole new dimension. A great recipe with many options," says reviewer bd.weld.

Meyer Lemon Martini

"Meyer lemons, a cross between a lemon and an orange, have a sweeter, less acidic flavor than the more common lemon," says recipe creator cookin'mama. "If you have to use a regular lemon, add a little extra sugar to taste."

Coconut, Yam, and Leek Soup

Meyer lemon, coriander, cumin, coconut, leeks, and yams combine to make a complex soup that's vegan-friendly. Fielding S Williams says, "That lemon makes it amazing!"

Meyer Lemon and Blueberry Cheese Tart

The classic flavor combination of lemon and blueberry is made better with Meyer lemon. "So creamy and delicious, with a bright, true blueberry flavor, accented by that hint of lemon--I was proud to take this to my dinner club, last night!"

Meyer Lemon Curd

Recipe creator Hogareno suggests using this lemon curd in a pie or as a spread or spooned into decorative jars for a homemade gift and says, "my secret to prevent curdling is to start out the cooking low and slow; when it smooths out, then turn the heat up to medium and stir constantly until it's done."

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