This is a Ponderosa Lemon I got from Susie last summer..... It just started turning yellow,how long till its ripe?
When is lemon ripe?
CC, when they are ripe, they get really yellow and come off the stem with a gentle tug.
CC, ours is in the ground and when I want to push the season and pick a lemon that is a little before its prime, I lightly scrape the rind to see if the sugar content is enough to pick it. A lemon picked to soon will have a bitter after taste, but you can push the season and use them before they are fully ripe.
The problem with some varieties is they fruit so heavily, it is almost impossible to eat them all or even give them away. I'm getting ready to do a major "squeeze" of the remaining fruit on our tree. I freeze it in ice cube trays and then toss in a plastic bag for future use....almost as good as fresh.
Gee I really don't know, have never grown it.....according to the PDB it would appear to be, but then check out this info from Texas A&M
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/citrus/lemons.htm
My lemon is a Meyer, I only have room for one and it's a good all purpose lemon with a "tropical - fruity" taste.
John...a trick question?LOL
I am a blond ya know...
seriously ,my oranges were orange long before they were ready to pick...same with the grapefruit.....
didn't know if lemons do the same thing......
could be they do it to me cause they are in a GH?
Some citrus, like oranges and grapefruit, need a lot of heat in order to get sweet. They say that Florida oranges are sweeter than California oranges because Florida is warmer during the ripening period. Lemons don't and can't make a lot of sugar, so they don't have that problem. More lemons are grown in Ventura County, CA, than anywhere else, I think. In the winter, they would get nights in the 40's and days in the 60's, so even if your greenhouse isn't all that hot, the lemons should ripen o.k.
When yours is fully yellow, it will be ready. How long that will take, I don't know. We have Meyer Improved and Eureka, which produce year-round here, so I never have to wait for something to ripen.
I was going to say when you can squeeze it for a whiskey sour CC! I just raided my neighbors tree and picked lots of lemons for whiskey sours. Too good! I just discovered these. I am sipping one now. Can't let them go bad!
OOOHHH,never thought of that!
I just banged into my variegated lemon and knocked a lemon off...bummin.....suppose to be pink inside when its ripe,it was still small.....,but I'll be happy with the one in the picture......I'll just have to use more whiskey since I'll be short on lemons...LOL
LOL. You would die here CC. The lemon trees are heavy with beautiful lemons! You were meant for warmer climates.
This message was edited Mar 3, 2004 11:20 AM
CC,you have mail!
Root,right back at'cha
Kell,you are sooooo right!!!