Lemons and other citrus fruits ripen on the tree, but when you harvest them you stop the ripening process. If you buy them at the grocery store, they should already be ready to consume and can last up to several weeks before they rot. If you buy an unripe lemon, you have some chance of turning it yellow by leaving it in a well-lit place, but be aware that you will not be able to make its pulp any sweeter. This article gives you some tips to encourage the ripening of these citrus fruits on the plant and some tips for choosing fruits.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Ripe Lemons in the Kitchen
Step 1. Remember that they will never ripen perfectly once picked from the tree
They may become more yellow and softer, but not necessarily sweeter or juicier. If you have an unripe lemon and leave it on your kitchen counter, it may turn yellow, but still have a bitter taste.
Step 2. Try to place the lemon in a well-lit area of the kitchen
The best place is the counter, away from direct sunlight. After a few days, the fruit should acquire a yellow color. However, this does not mean that, on the inside, it is mature; although it is yellow, it will still be bitter and unripe. However, you can still use it as a decoration if you want to add a pop of color to a dish or cocktail.
Step 3. Always bear in mind that color is not a good indicator of ripeness
A greenish lemon isn't necessarily unripe. In fact, there are varieties that, while retaining a greenish skin, are still ready to be consumed. This is because the fruit ripens from the inside out. The pulp is the first element that reaches maturity, followed by the peel. If you have an unripe lemon, try cutting and tasting it. You can also follow the instructions of this method to understand the degree of ripeness of the fruit.
Step 4. Don't throw away the unripe lemons, you can use them for house cleaning or as an air freshener
- With this fruit you can prepare an effective rust and oxidation cleaner by mixing the juice with salt to form a paste.
- Add a few slices of lemon to a pot of simmering water. You can also add herbs to match the citrus scent, such as rosemary.
Method 2 of 3: Ripe Lemons on the Tree
Step 1. Learn about the tree's needs to stay healthy and bear good fruit
Maybe your lemons are developing but not ripening; know that this plant needs a lot of sunlight and water. It must also be pruned to ensure excellent air circulation. Without these precautions, the fruits do not ripen. This section of the tutorial will teach you how to get ripe lemons out of your plant and tell you how long you will have to wait for them.
Step 2. These fruits need some time to ripen
Consider harvesting them at least four weeks after flowering. Some varieties take up to nine weeks to be ready for harvest. Also remember that the citrus, once ripe, will stay on the tree for several weeks before falling.
- Trees must become adults before they can bear ripe fruit. Some specimens bear fruit early, but in this case citrus fruits generally do not ripen. The plants, in principle, begin to produce lemons suitable for human consumption after the third year of life. If your tree bears fruit but it remains unripe, check its age.
- Expect the lemons to ripen between late November and mid-January. Try to collect them before this deadline, otherwise you risk hindering subsequent production.
Step 3. Check that the tree is planted in a warm and sunny area
Sunlight is not only essential for the development of the plant, but it is essential for the fruits to turn yellow. If you are growing the tree indoors, then place it near a window, preferably facing south. Remember that it needs six to eight hours of light a day and a warm environment, with an average temperature of 21 ° C during the day and 13 ° C at night. A lemon tree goes into a dormant phase when the temperature drops below 13 ° C.
Step 4. The soil must be well draining
Lemons love water, but the roots don't have to get soggy; for this reason you must be sure that the soil drains properly. You can consider burying the tree on a mound to prevent water from stagnating.
Step 5. Check the pH of the soil
If the lemons stay green for a very long time, then it could be a sign of the tree's poor health. Check the pH of the soil using a kit that you can buy at garden stores or nurseries. These plants need the soil pH to be between 6.0 and 7.5.
Step 6. Water the tree well, but check that the soil has drained the water well before watering it again
Let the first 10-15cm of soil dry before watering again. Avoid overwatering and make sure there is no standing water, otherwise you encourage root rot and the development of disease and mold.
For the same reason, don't mulch lemon trees or any other citrus fruit. Mulch will retain moisture around the roots, increasing the risk of rot. Most gardeners try to keep the area around lemon trees free of weeds at all times to encourage the evaporation of standing water
Step 7. Add fertilizer regularly
Use a citrus-specific product so your tree always has all the nutrients it needs. Lemons need a lot of energy to grow and develop leaves, flowers and ultimately fruit. An undernourished plant will not have the strength to produce healthy fruit and become an adult.
Lemons also require a lot of nitrogen to grow. For this reason you should buy a fertilizer with a higher percentage of nitrogen than phosphorus and potassium
Step 8. Remember that trees grown indoors must be pollinated
Those buried in the garden enjoy the action of birds and insects, but those growing indoors do not have this advantage, they will never produce ripe fruit or may not bear fruit at all. To pollinate an indoor growing lemon tree, you need to use a cotton swab and move the pollen from flower to flower.
Step 9. Watch out for diseases
If the fruit on the tree does not ripen, then you need to check that the plant is not sick or stressed: observe that there are no dead leaves or branches. Also inspect the leaves for mold or mildew; these usually appear as white or black spots. Another sign of disease is yellow spots always on the leaves.
Method 3 of 3: Recognizing a Ripe Lemon
Step 1. Try to pick a ripe lemon right from the start
Since these fruits do not continue the ripening process once detached from the tree, you should pick them at the right time. In this part of the article we will describe the details to observe in order to know when to pick citrus fruits. Once you learn what to look for, you'll be less likely to end up with an unripe lemon.
Step 2. Look for a bright yellow fruit
However, remember that lemons ripen from the inside, this means that the peel is the last part that is transformed. In fact, you can have a fruit with a juicy and ripe flesh, but still greenish on the outside.
Meyer variety lemons have a deeper yellow color and some may have orange hues
Step 3. Choose a heavy fruit in relation to its size
This means that the pulp is full of juice. Most lemons are 5-7.5cm long.
Step 4. Observe the consistency
In theory, a ripe lemon should be firm, but slightly soft. A fruit that is too hard is probably unripe or shriveled on the inside.
Meyer lemons have a thinner skin than other common varieties, when they mature they are soft. If you can push the peel in more than 1.3 cm, then the fruit is probably overripe
Step 5. Look for those specimens that have a smooth, shiny surface
Those with too many irregularities or bumps on the skin may be unripe and not very juicy. Another detail to note is the almost waxed sheen of the surface.
Look for ripples, in which case the lemon has passed the peak of ripeness
Step 6. Learn how to pick lemons from the tree
If you have to take care of the harvest, then you need a pair of gardening gloves, as these plants often have thorns that can scratch if you are not careful. Find a ripe fruit and grab it; to detach it, twist it gently. The lemon should come off without difficulty, but if it doesn't, it means it's still unripe.
Step 7. Taste it to see if it is really ripe
If you have a lot of fruit to harvest, but are unsure of how ripe it is, then you should always cut a specimen and taste it. Virtually all lemons are sour but not bitter. However, Meyer lemons are sweeter than sour.
