Ponderosa Lemon – Citrus limon ‘Ponderosa’

Ponderosa Lemon

Out of lemon flowers

loosed

on the moonlight, love’s

lashed and insatiable

essences,

sodden with fragrance,

the lemon tree’s yellow

emerges….

 

 By Pablo Nerunda

This lemon cultivar is a chance development on a farm in Hagerstown, Maryland. In about 1887 George Bowman found this cultivar, a hybrid of a citron and lemon, but it was not introduced or named until 1900. The original lemon is believed to have originated in India, but the exact place is difficult to know since this tree has followed man as he explored and settled new areas around the world. The lemon was taken with Christopher Columbus to Hispaniola in 1493, and the Spanish were credited with its early introduction to St Augustine, Florida.

 

This relatively small evergreen tree (only 12-24 ft tall at full growth) has thorns, like so many other citrus relatives, and produces flowers year round. This constant flower production means you are likely to see flowers, and fruit (at any stage of growth) growing on the tree at the same time. These fruit on the Ponderosa Lemon are similar in appearance to the regular lemon; they are just much larger and lumpy! They can be as large as 2 – 5 pounds in weight when fully grown. Their rind or skin is also very thick. One of these Ponderosa Lemons can make several pitchers of lemonade!

 

The taste and aroma of this variety is also almost identical to the regular lemon seen in the grocery store; and can be used in identical situations. The juice can be made into lemonade, or used to flavor any meat of fish dish. It can also be made into desserts (such as lemon meringue pie) and as a flavoring almost anywhere you can imagine it. Often in cooking it is the zest that is desired, and for some dishes is highly prized.

 

The left over plant matter after making juice commercially is used to produce citric oil, pectin, and citric acid. All of these are used in the food industry and by the cosmetics and pharmaceutical companies. Lemon juice can be used to remove stains, and with salt to clean copper pots safely. The peel oil has been used to manufacture furniture polish, and detergents.

In cosmetics it has been utilized in creams for bleaching freckles, for facial cleaning creams, in soaps, and shampoos.

 

In herbal medicine any lemon can be used the same way, it is known as a diuretic, antiscorbutic, astringent, and febrifuge. In Italy it is utilized to treat gingivitis, stomatitis, and inflammation of the tongue. In Cuba the root is used for fever; while in West Africa the root is used for gonorrhea.

Have fun with the kids and make invisible ink! Take the juice of 1 lemon (3 teaspoons if no fresh is available), and add 1 teaspoon of water. Mix these well. Now have the kids ‘write’ with a brush or fingertip a message onto normal paper. Let them watch this dry. As it dries the ‘writing’ disappears! It will only reappear if a candle is passed below the paper. Please do not allow children to do this activity without proper supervision, NO Fires Here!

Green Dragon – Poncirus trifoliate

Unripe Green Dragon fruit & leaves

This thorny tree of Asia is native to China and Korea. It is probably the only hardy orange out there. Here in Zone 7A we can grow this particular orange without worry about winter cold and frost! The unripe fruit is green, and ripening to yellow. They are not very large about 1 ½ inches across, looking like a small orange, except they have a very fine, downy hair covering.

 

The small orange like fruit are edible, but have a bitter, acrid flavor, so do better cooked down into jellies & jams, rather than eating raw. For a refreshing, high Vitamin C drink pick the fruit and hold for two week, then juice. The fruit peel (made into zest) can be used as a flavoring, much like lemon or orange zest.

 

Several parts of the tree are used in folk medicine. Somehow the thorns are used in the treatment of toothache. (?) The bark of the stem is used in decoction form for colds, and the fruit is used to treat dyspepsia, constipation and abdominal distension, stuffy sensation in the chest, prolapse of the uterus, rectum and stomach.

 

Some people have used it to form impenetrable hedges around their yards. This is due to the presence of the thorns which also afford protection of nests for wildlife.

Lemon – Citrus × limon

A Lemon on the tree

“Lemon tree oh so pretty,

and the lemon flower is sweet,

but the fruit of the poor lemon is impossible to eat.”

 

Written by Will Holt

Preformed by Peter, Paul and Mary

 

This native citrus of northern India is only found in cultivation today, the wild populations have been eradicated. Cultivation has been ongoing for centuries and 47 varieties have been developed. In Asia it was widely used for its antiseptic properties. In 700 AD it was introduced to Egypt and Iraq. The first recorded evidence of its use was found in an Arabic farming treatise of the tenth century were it was stated it was used as an ornamental in early gardens.

 

Lemons are a well known astringent that works well as a gargle for sore throats, as a lotion for sunburn, and in uterine bleeding post delivery. It has also been used to cure hiccough and treat jaundice. The British Navy requires all ships that will be out to sea for more than 10 days to carry sufficient Lemon or lime juice so that every sailor may have a 1 ounce dose daily to fight scurvy!

 

It has been used as a cooling drink in feverish situations, allaying thirst, for rheumatism, and occasionally to counteract narcotic poisoning. The rind is used in preparations to help cover the taste of medicines in allopathic medicine.

 

Lemon is popular in cooking as well….lemon juice has been used with fish for centuries…did you know it is because the juice neutralizes the fishy odor? Water and iced tea (sometimes hot teas as well) are served with a slice or wedge of lemon, and in Europe colas are often offered with lemon as well!

 

When used in marinate for meat it works by partially hydrolyzing tough cuts of meat to make them more tender and palatable. Lemons can be used to make marmalade, a liqueur named Limoncello is made from the rind, and the zest is added to baked goods, puddings, rice and other dishes for flavor.

 

Lemons are also popular in cosmetic use:

            Lemon hair lightener…the juice applied to the hair acts as a natural highlighter

            Deodorant…raw lemon can be used as a short term deodorant

            Skin bleach…the juice has been used to lighten skin blemishes, the effectiveness is questionable

            Acne treatment… just apply the juice to blemishes

            Facial masks…often added to facial masks for a refreshing treatment