Lemon

Description
A lemon is a small yellow citrus fruit with a bitter or sour taste. They are cultivated primarily for their juice, though the pulp and rind are also used, primarily in cooking or mixology. Lemon juice is about 5% citric acid, which gives lemons a sour taste.

The lemon originated in China. In fact, lemonade was a favorite drink of the Chinese Emperors. Lemons were not cultivated in the West until after the Arab conquests. They were cultivated in Genoa in the mid-fifteenth century, and appeared in the Azores in 1494. Lemons were once used by the British navy to combat scurvy, as they provided a large amount of vitamin C. The British navy originally thought lemons were overripe limes which they resemble and their sailors became known as limeys, not lemonys. Lemons were brought into the United States by Catholic missionaries and lemon trees were first planted in Arizona and California. These two states produce nearly all of the lemons consumed in the United State and a third of those consumed in the whole world.

Lemons are used to help flavor tea and colas and in desserts such as lemon cake and lemon meringue pie. Both lemons and limes are regularly served as lemonade (natural lemon with water and sugar) or limeade, its equivalent, or as a garnish for drinks such as cola with a slice either inside or on the rim of the glass. Lemon juice is typically dripped onto battered fish dishes in restaurants in the United Kingdom and other countries—the acidic juice neutralizes the taste of amines in fish. Some like to eat lemons as fruit.

Lemon juice contains approximately 500 milligrams of vitamin C and 50 grams of citric acid per liter.

Rind
Lemon rind, when used as an ingredient, refers to shavings of the thin yellow outer skin of the lemon. The rind contains strong smelling oils which are used to flavor many baked goods. One can remove the rind from a lemon by using a small-holed grater, a microplane, or by carefully cutting the rind with a knife then mincing the results. Ideally, none of the white pith should be included with the rind. Be sure to scrub and wash the outer skin first to remove any remaining pesticide.

Selection
Lemons should be firm and have a bright yellow color. Avoid soft, shriveled lemons with spots. The best lemons will be fine textured and heavy for their size. Thin skinned fruit tends to have more juice, while fruit that has a greenish cast is likely to be more acidic. One medium lemon has about 3 tablespoons of juice and 3 tablespoons of grated peel.

Storage
You may store lemons at room temperature for about two weeks. They will keep for up to six weeks in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. Use lemons as quickly as possible after cutting.

Varieties
There are two different types of lemons — acid and sweet. The most common acid varieties include Eurekas and Lisbons. The acidic type is grown commercially and the sweet types are grown mainly by home gardeners. The trees bloom continuously all year and can produce up to 500 or 600 lemons a year.

Quick Tips

 * Freeze lemon juice in ice cube trays for later use.
 * Add a twist of lemon to the water in ice cube trays for added zip to beverages.
 * Use juice on fruit or white vegetables to help them keep their color.
 * Remove odors, such as fish, onion, or bleach by rubbing with fresh lemon.
 * Lemon and salt can be used to treat rust spots, and to clean copper pots.
 * Get the most juice out of your lemon by warming it in the microwave for 15 seconds or rolling it with your hand on the counter if it is at room temperature.
 * Add a few drops of lemon juice to whipping cream if it doesn't stiffen.

Source

 * Lemon from the Wikibooks Cookbook -- source of some of the text
 * Fruit & Vegetable of the Month: Lemon by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, public domain government resource -- original source of Selection, Storage, Varietes and Quick Tips sections

From Recipes Wiki, a Wikia wiki.