"Every morning I join a group of friends for coffee and conversation at a cafe in my neighborhood. We call ourselves the "coffee klatch." This time of year, one of the key klatchers, Michael Soriano, often comes bearing a bag of Meyer lemons, picked from his tree. Last year he even did a drive-by in front of my apartment, delivering a bag of those fragrant golden orbs just for me. Such luxury! And free. It felt like a heist."
"Here in Los Angeles, this wintertime hand-off is not uncommon. Those with citrus trees - especially Meyer lemon and classic Eureka lemon trees - often end up with a bounty that they couldn't possibly eat on their own. And those without trees, well, we're happy to help. We take the lemons and explore new and old and inspired ways to use them."
"A few fun facts: All citrus originated in Asia. There are only three ancestral citrus varieties: the citron (a thick-skinned lumpy lemon-like thing, with lots of pith and very little juice); the pomelo (an ascendant of the grapefruit); and mandarins (we know what those are). The rest of the citrus world as we know it derived from hybridizing those three in different combinations."
Neighbors in Los Angeles frequently share excess lemons from backyard trees, especially Meyer and Eureka varieties. Meyer lemons have a smooth, thin deep-yellow peel and sweeter juice because they are a hybrid of Eureka lemon and mandarin. Eureka lemons originated as a cross between citron and bitter orange nearly 200 years ago in Los Angeles, producing tart, acidic fruit that excels for juicing and baking. All citrus originated in Asia, deriving from three ancestral varieties: citron, pomelo and mandarins. Many citrus types resulted from hybridizing those ancestors in different combinations, creating the modern citrus diversity.
Read at Los Angeles Times
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