Lemons are the fruits of the tree Citrus limon L. Burm. which is extensively cultivated in Sicily, Italy and California and to a limited extent in Florida, Spain, Brazil and Argentina although the tree will grow in many other areas having a typical Mediterranean type of climate.
Lemon flavors are among the most popular fruit flavors for beverages.
The ovoid fruits are from 2.5 to 4 inch in length, the yellow rind enclosing 8 to 10 fleshy segments, the cells of which contain a very acidic juice. The fruit is very acidic, although some sweet varieties are known. They are harvested while still green and allowed to ripen under controlled conditions to enhance the flavor.
Lemon fruit is influenced by a number of preharvest factors, including cultivar, rootstock, tree age, geographic location of production, tree nutrition, climate and fruit maturity at harvest.
The essential oil is recovered from the peel by cold expression or by distillation, depending upon the region of production. The peel essential oil of lemon is located in small ductless glands in the outer of peel oil ends up in the juice and provides much of the flavor characteristics of each citrus juice.
The juice is used as the basis for soft drinks and in food processing.
Some of the flavor including the ‘top note’ is provided by volatile compounds that are also presents in the juice sacs, including oil-soluble components in juice oil located within the juice sac.
These volatile flavor components complement the flavor provided by peel oil in citrus juice.
The characteristics flavor volatiles of each citrus variety are complex mixtures of terpene hydrocarbons, alcohols, aldehydes and esters, among others.
Over 200 compounds have been identified and quantified in volatiles of grapefruit juice.
The flavor of lemon fruit
