History of Lemon (The genus Citrus)

Lemon (Citrus × Limon) is a hybrid of the citrus genus and is the common name for the popular

edible fruit of this small tree or sprawling bush. A lemon tree is characterized by spiny branches and white flowers with violet edges, while acidic and juicy fruits are oval (ovoid) and have an aromatic peel that is usually yellow when ripe (green as immature or under certain conditions) and has a characteristic nipple or bulge at the end of flowering.

The genus Citrus is a group of flowering plants of the Rutaceae family (the orange family), which is native to tropical and subtropical Southeast Asia and has a characteristic berry with segmented interior parts. Other representatives of the citrus genus are oranges, limes, cedars, grapefruits, grapefruits (pummelo, pomelo) and tangerines (tangerines). Most members of the Citrus genus are born as hybrids, and hybrid citrus species such as lemon (Citrus limon) can be recognized as species according to different taxonomies or not (Krueger 2003).

While the lemon fruit serves the reproductive purpose of the plant, it also serves greater human value in terms of culinary and non-culinary goals. Culinary uses include the use of juices in beverages, garnishes for beverages, spices, salad dressings and pressed meats or vegetables. Like astringent citrus fruits, lemons do not usually eat alone. Non-culinary purposes include the use of lemon oil in perfumes, cosmetics, and polishing furniture and trees for cosmetic purposes.

Lemon juice contains about five percent acidity, which gives lemons a sour taste and a pH of 2 to 3. This makes lemon juice an inexpensive acid that is readily available for scientific experiments. Education.

Lemon Tree

A lemon tree can grow up to ten meters, but usually it is smaller. The branches are spiky and form an open crown. The leaves are green, shiny and elliptical. The flowers are white on the outside with purple stripes inside and have a strong smell. Flowers and ripe fruits can be found on a lemon tree at the same time (Lanzara and Pizetti 1978).

Lemon fruits are oval in shape and can vary from a large egg to a small grapefruit (fall 2001). During maturity, they have a light yellow nose, a lower layer of bone marrow and a light yellow segmented interior. Small seeds, commonly called "flies," are found in the fruit. The skin may be thick or thin. In particular, the color of citrus fruits develops only in climates with cold winters (during the day). In tropical regions without winter, citrus fruits remain green until ripe. Commercial lemons are usually picked while they are green and ripen in cool dark rooms.

Lemon and lime production in 2005

In colder winter areas, lemon and linden should not be grown, as they are more sensitive to winter cold

than other citrus fruits. The main producers are Italy and the USA. In the United States, lemons are grown commercially in cooler summers / milder winters on the southern coast of California because sweetness in retail lemon fruits is neither achieved nor expected. Spain, Greece and Argentina are other important manufacturing countries.

Story

Krueger (2003) argues that it is generally accepted that there are three original types of citrus fruits - Citrus medica (lemons), Citrus maxima (Pumelos) and Citrus reticulata (tangerines) - and that all other types of citrus fruits come from single or sequential events. hybridization between these species or their offspring. Based on the fact that hybrid citrus species are recognized as species, three to 170 species are recognized — the system that Swingle typically uses to identify 16 species (Krueger 2003).

William-Adolphe Bouguereau: Girl Holds Stringer

Lemon is a cultural hybrid that comes from wild species such as cedar and mandarin. It is still unknown when and where this happened. Cedar - apparently the fruit described in the natural history of Pliny (XII, vii.15) as Malum Medicum, the "medicinal fruit" - seems to be the first known citrus fruit in the Mediterranean.

Citrus images appear in Roman mosaics in North Africa, but the first clear description of the lemon can be found in the Arabic tractate on agriculture of Kustus al-Rumi from the beginning of the 10th century. The use and cultivation of lemon by the Cantonese (barbarians of the south) was known in the early 12th century. At the end of the 12th century, Ibn Jami, the personal physician of the Muslim leader Saladin, wrote a treatise on lemon, according to which it is more often mentioned in Mediterranean literature. However, it is believed that the first lemons were originally grown on a warm, semi-dry Deccan plateau in central India.

The origin of the name "lemon" comes from the Persian language (لیمو Limu [pronounced with long and short u]), similar to the Sanskrit nimbuk. They were grown in Genoa, Italy, in the middle of the 17th century and appeared on the Azores in 1494. Studies have identified lemons in the ruins of Pompeii (Russell and Cutler 2004). Once upon a time, the British Royal Navy used lemons to combat scurvy, as they contained large amounts of vitamin C.

Culinary applications

lemons

Lemon is mainly used for its juice, although the pulp and peel (peel) are also mainly used for cooking and baking.

Astringent citrus fruits, such as lemons and limes, are not usually eaten alone. Lemons and limes are regularly served as lemonade or lemonade, diluting the juice of these fruits and adding sugar. Lemons and limes are also used to accompany drinks, such as iced tea or soft drinks, with a slice inside or on the edge of the glass. However, in Italian Limoncello liquor only lemons are used. Lemon Wedges are often used to add flavor to water. Orange jam, vinaigrette made from boiled orange and lemon, can be especially bitter.

Lemons and limes are used as an ingredient in various dishes, and their juice is usually found in salad dressings and squeezed from boiled meat or vegetables. Lemon juice is usually squeezed into fish dishes: sour juice neutralizes the taste of fish amines, turning them into non-volatile ammonium salts. In addition, lemon juice, along with other ingredients, is often used to marinate meat before cooking: the acid released by the juice partially hydrolyzes the solid collagen fibers of the meat (softens the meat).

Some people like to eat lemons like fruits; However, later water should be used to flush citric acid and sugar from the teeth, as this can lead to tooth decay and many other dental diseases.

Lemons are also a good short-term preservative that is commonly used for chopped apples. This keeps the fruit fresh and white throughout the day, which prevents the unpleasant side effect of oxidation. This expands the use of fruits.

Lemon juice is used to relieve pain from bee stings, although the juice does not have an antibiotic effect.

Lemons that have been warmed to room temperature before being squeezed (in the microwave or on the counter) increase the amount of juice that can be extracted. If lemons are stored at room temperature for a long period of time, they are more prone to mold.

Benefits for Chemistry and Health

D-lime

Lemons and other citrus fruits contain many different chemicals that are said to be good for your health. They contain a terpene called D-limonene, which gives it a characteristic lemon smell and taste. Lemons also contain significant amounts of citric acid, so they have a low pH and sour taste.

Lemons are very rich in vitamin C (ascorbic acid), which is essential for human health. 100 milliliters of lemon juice contains about 50 milligrams of vitamin C (55 percent of the recommended daily allowance) and five grams of citric acid. Due to the high vitamin C content in alternative medicine, lemon has been touted as a tonic for the digestive system, immune system and skin. However, vitamin C is quickly lost as soon as the lemon is squeezed, with a loss of 20% after only eight hours at room temperature or 24 hours in the refrigerator (autumn 2001).

Some sources claim that lemons contain unique flavonoid compounds that have antioxidant and anti-cancer properties (GMF 2007). They can inhibit cell growth in tumors. Lemons found in lemons can also be carcinogenic.

Ayurvedic medicine believes that a cup of hot water with lemon juice tones and cleanses the liver.

Non-culinary use of lemon

In the past, lemons were used for many non-culinary purposes, including an epilepsy remedy, invisible ink, and bleach (fall 2001).

Lemons can be used to extract oils and essences. Lemon oil or essential oil is used in perfumes, cosmetics and furniture polishes. A Japanese study of the effects of aromatherapy showed that lemon essential oil in the form of steam reduces stress in mice (Komiya et al. 2006).

Lemon peel is used to make commercial pectin.

A typical school experience with lemons is connecting electrodes and using them as a battery to power a light source. The generated electricity can also be used to power the engine to move lemons (on wheels), for example, a car or truck. This experience also works with other fruits such as apples and potatoes.

Lemon Alternatives

Some other plants have a lemon flavor. Recently, the Australian myrtle from Bush has become a popular alternative to lemons. Chopped and dried leaves and edible essential oils have a strong, sweet lemon flavor but do not contain citric acid. Lemon myrtle is popular in foods that blend with lemon juice, such as cheesecake and ice cream.

Many other plants have a lemon flavor or aroma. These include cymbopogon (lemongrass), lemon balm, lemon thyme, lemon verbena, fragrant geraniums, some types of basil and some types of mint.