I was given a Meyer lemon to make my Lemon Chicken while visiting New Zealand. The one I was given was much larger than I am used to seeing in Canadian grocery and produce stores. It was extremely heavy for its size and produced a shocking amount of exceptionally sweet juice. The specific lemon I had was the last one on the tree from that season and had been grown not far from my relative's home near Waitomo. I could cheerfully give up my left arm for a tree in my own back yard! We get key-lime-sized Meyers here in Canada, and they are nothing like what I experienced on the other side of the world!
The story of the Meyer Lemon is an interesting tale. It is maned for the first head of the USDA, Frank Meyer, by its "discoverer" Daniel Fairchild, but it probably should be called the Chinese Doorway Lemon. Fairchild found it commonly grown next to the front doors of Chinese homes. Here's a great read: The Food Explorer: The True Adventures of the Globe-Trotting Botanist Who Transformed What America Eats by Daniel Stone.
Frank Meyer was never the head of USADA; he was a vegetation explorer. Fairchild didn't discover them; he was a privileged person who took credit for other's finds. Fairchild sought out Meyer to send search results to the U.S. The lemons were originally known as Chinese lemons. The Meyer lemons of today are NOT the lemons discovered. The original lemons carried a dormant disease which began to wipe out all types of citrus crops in the U.S. to the Meyer lemons were banned. That lasted till about 1976. They mostly served as ornamental items so they weren't properly inspected as food as how they were discovered. Officials started to search for all for destruction which by all accounts happened eventually. Research led to a modified version which we enjoy today.
Thanks for the info. I was so happy finding them at HEB in Texas. Makes the best lemonade! People on ebay sell 5 seeds for the price of 5 meyer lemons! Ridiculous! Can't wait to get a hold of these fruits again :P
In middle school, there was a fence that separated the special ed class from the rest of the school. They had a lemon tree in the courtyard, and I used to climb the fence to get some lemons. They were really big and sweet, and I ate them just like an orange. I always wondered what type they were.
Great Video. We love Meyer Lemons. Great health benefits. My coffee shop stores fresh lemons in a zip bag in the fridge. They last longer. I didn't know there are so many places that have Meyer Lemons. I just mail ordered from a California farm. Gosh I can't believe how many we had consumed. Well we gave some away to and they were shocked at how juicy and big they were. I didn't know you could rate the rind. Can one get these year round?
Awesome! I think you can get the Meyer Lemon fruit during a longer season such as fall, winter, and spring; I'm not sure about year round. But in Texas (a citrus quarantine state), you can buy the trees year round. They're very common (if not the only lemon trees) in plant nurseries.
Technically every modern produce has been genetically modified. Veggies and fruits that we eat today didn’t exist in the past. We’ve picked the crops that we like and bred everything to look the way it does. Most likely the ancient Chinese did the same with this.
every domesticated fruit was modified domestication is a process of artificial selection ie genetic modification edit; not just every domesticated fruit, any domesticated organism
I was given a Meyer lemon to make my Lemon Chicken while visiting New Zealand. The one I was given was much larger than I am used to seeing in Canadian grocery and produce stores. It was extremely heavy for its size and produced a shocking amount of exceptionally sweet juice. The specific lemon I had was the last one on the tree from that season and had been grown not far from my relative's home near Waitomo. I could cheerfully give up my left arm for a tree in my own back yard! We get key-lime-sized Meyers here in Canada, and they are nothing like what I experienced on the other side of the world!
The story of the Meyer Lemon is an interesting tale. It is maned for the first head of the USDA, Frank Meyer, by its "discoverer" Daniel Fairchild, but it probably should be called the Chinese Doorway Lemon. Fairchild found it commonly grown next to the front doors of Chinese homes. Here's a great read: The Food Explorer: The True Adventures of the Globe-Trotting Botanist Who Transformed What America Eats by Daniel Stone.
Frank Meyer was never the head of USADA; he was a vegetation explorer. Fairchild didn't discover them; he was a privileged person who took credit for other's finds. Fairchild sought out Meyer to send search results to the U.S. The lemons were originally known as Chinese lemons. The Meyer lemons of today are NOT the lemons discovered. The original lemons carried a dormant disease which began to wipe out all types of citrus crops in the U.S. to the Meyer lemons were banned. That lasted till about 1976. They mostly served as ornamental items so they weren't properly inspected as food as how they were discovered. Officials started to search for all for destruction which by all accounts happened eventually. Research led to a modified version which we enjoy today.
I just planted a Meyer Lemon today that I bought at Elgin Nursery here in Phoenix. I love them and eat slices .. rind and all.
Thanks for the info. I was so happy finding them at HEB in Texas. Makes the best lemonade! People on ebay sell 5 seeds for the price of 5 meyer lemons! Ridiculous! Can't wait to get a hold of these fruits again :P
Just bought me a Meyer lemon tree so thanks for the info.
I bought a tree too, a few months ago! It was definitely a wish-list tree! 😃
I judt planted the tree because it said "attracts butterflies" but now I'm more happy I did. I love lemonade and more reason to make deserts 😄
You have such a pleasant-to-listen-to voice.
Thanks for info.
Thank you for sharing this video!
My favorite citrus fruit 🍋😊
In middle school, there was a fence that separated the special ed class from the rest of the school. They had a lemon tree in the courtyard, and I used to climb the fence to get some lemons. They were really big and sweet, and I ate them just like an orange. I always wondered what type they were.
That's so awesome! I won't be surprised they were Meyer Lemons. They're such a unique citrus!
Great Video.
We love Meyer Lemons. Great health benefits. My coffee shop stores fresh lemons in a zip bag in the fridge. They last longer. I didn't know there are so many places that have Meyer Lemons. I just mail ordered from a California farm. Gosh I can't believe how many we had consumed.
Well we gave some away to and they were shocked at how juicy and big they were.
I didn't know you could rate the rind. Can one get these year round?
Awesome! I think you can get the Meyer Lemon fruit during a longer season such as fall, winter, and spring; I'm not sure about year round. But in Texas (a citrus quarantine state), you can buy the trees year round. They're very common (if not the only lemon trees) in plant nurseries.
Suuuper Cool...!
I really enjoyed your documentary on Myer lemons. Do you have any idea if they are natural or genetically modified?
Technically every modern produce has been genetically modified. Veggies and fruits that we eat today didn’t exist in the past. We’ve picked the crops that we like and bred everything to look the way it does. Most likely the ancient Chinese did the same with this.
every domesticated fruit was modified
domestication is a process of artificial selection ie genetic modification
edit; not just every domesticated fruit, any domesticated organism
The thing is,I can't stand sour. Sweet is way better. I bet this could be a sweet fruit
Came from China and get western name
One hater 🤣🤣🤣
they are actually not lemons at all
So its not a variety of lemon
Its a cross between a citron and a mandarin/pomelo hybrid
Oh good to know for medicinal purposes