Choosing between the many varieties of citrus trees can be confusing. There seems to be an endless selection of orange trees, grapefruit trees, dwarf lemon bushes and even limetta shrubs. But one of the most unusual and captivating tree species is without a doubt the citron citrus tree.

The citron is a slow growing and small tree with the maximum height of only 8 to 12 feet. It has stiff branches, willowy twigs and oval shaped leaves. The leaves are quite often lemon scented and are evergreen in nature. What many gardeners love most about the citron citrus tree are its large white and purple blossoms which display a brightly colored center.

The fruit of the citron tree is oblong and rather unusual in shape compared to other citrus fruits. Though there are some tree varieties which are more common than others almost all citron fruits are covered with a rough rind with a soft, sweet and watery flesh.

Some varieties of citron citrus tree include the fascinating and unique “fingered citron”, the “Corsican” variety which was introduced to the US by explorers in 1891 and etrog, diamante and Bajoura.

Though the origin of the citron citrus tree is not known for certain, it has been found to have a long and fascinating history. The earliest signs of citron harvesting were found to be in 4000 BC when excavations discovered citron seeds among other food stores and harvesting tools.

Other signs of the citron history include a Jewish coin from 136 BC which depicts a citron-like fruit on one side, a reference made by a Chinese writer in 300AD and records of the fruit being imported into Greece from Persia were it was then cultivated and enjoyed by the privileged in 200 BC.

Today citron citrus trees are found in regions around the world which have steady year-round temperatures with little chance of sudden frost or cold nights. Citrons are used quite often in cooking in places such as Guatemala, Indonesia, India and Porto Rico.

Citron citrus trees require sufficient aeration and need proper and consistent pruning to produce adequate fruit. They will also need regular fertilization, room to produce a large roots and a monitored watering system.

The dwarf type can be grown conveniently indoors in a pot or in a yard with limited space. It is said that one adult tree can provide fruit for the whole neighborhood. The Lisbon variety is a hardy tree but prefers a warmer climate.

For areas of the country with frequent frost temperatures the Eureka type is preferable. The Lisbon lemon tree will die back to the roots after a hard frost. The Lisbon has sharp spines in abundance but this is a small drawback considering it’s other useful qualities.

The dwarf Lisbon lemon tree can be traced back originally to Portugal. Today it is one of the most popular varieties of lemon trees in California. The Lisbon needs lots of sun and nutrient rich soil.

It should be fertilized frequently with nitrogen, potassium and organic matter. If potted be sure to keep it well drained. If the tree is kept out of doors part of the year and brought in doors for winter you have two options for keeping it healthy.

If you keep it in the sun while indoors than you need to fertilize it several times in order to promote continued growth. It can also be kept in a cooler room with no sunlight and it will become essentially dormant for the indoor/winter season and will not require fertilization.

With a little work and attention, you are sure to love your tree for many years to come.

With fresh lemons as close as your kitchen garden pots, you’re always ready to prepare zesty lemon desserts or savory lemon butter sauces to compliment fish or vegetable dishes. Lemon butter, when sweetened, makes a perfect sauce for cake, especially gingerbread, a tangy yet sweet filling for tarts or pies, or a mouth watering pudding all on its own. Very similar to lemon curd, but a lot easier to make, sweet lemon butter sauce has a variety of yummy uses. Here is a holiday favorite:

Gingerbread with Lemon Butter Sauce

1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. butter
1 egg, beaten
1 c. molasses
2 1/2 c. sifted flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. cloves
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. hot water

Cream together sugar and butter then add beaten eggs and molasses. Blend. Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture and stir. Add hot water and beat by hand until smooth. Grease a 9×13 pan and bake at 325 degrees for about 35 minutes.

Lemon Sauce

½ cup sugar
2 tbsp. Corn starch
Pinch salt
2 cups water
¼ cup margarine or butter
1 tbsp lemon zest
3 tbsp. Lemon juice

Combine all ingredients and cook, stirring constantly until thick. Serve over gingerbread.

Lemon butter is equally tasty as a savory sauce over chicken, fish or vegetables. Here is a recipe for an easy and versatile lemon sauce that you’re sure to use over and over again.

Savory Lemon Butter

Juice of 1 lemon
1/4 tsp grated lemon rind
5 tbsp butter
1 tbsp flour
1.5 tbsp fresh parsley
salt and pepper to taste

Melt butter and flour together. Add juice, zest and parsley and cook over low heat until thickened. Add seasonings to taste. Garlic can be added at this point as well if desired. Serve over desired entree.

Here is a short description of four of the most popular styles of citrus juice press and how they are used.

Hand held Press

This gadget consists of two half circle cups that hold a halved lemon, lime or orange, and two long handles that you squeeze together to extract the juice. The long handles mean that it takes very little effort to extract the juice. This type of press is perfect for the smaller amounts of juice often required in cooking and baking.

Standing Hand Press

Another manually operated juicer, this works under basically the same principal as the hand held press except that the juice is gathered in a container that is part of the press. Instead of squeezing two handles together, the standing citrus juice press is operated by pulling down a small arm to squeeze the fruit that has been placed in the top part of the press. This method is great for producing single servings of juice for drinking.

Manual Reamer

This handy juicer involves more of a pushing and turning motion than a squeezing one. The reamer sits atop a container and you place a half piece of fruit on it and push and turn it until the juice has been extracted and collected in the container.

Electric Press

If you want to extract larger amounts of juice at one time, an eclectic citrus juice press may be just what you need. There are many varieties available online and in home department stores in a wide range of prices to suit every need and budget.

They function in the same manner as the manual press except that an electric motor does the work instead of you! Many of the electric presses also have a selection of filter baskets that you can use to allow you to select the amount of pulp you want in your juice.

Whichever type of citrus juice press you choose, you are sure to enjoy cooking with and drinking all that fresh and healthy vitamin C!

This tree is a great plant for the indoors though it does not like the full sun or air drafts. If grown in the northern climates, grow lights are an excellent source of light. The tree should be planted in a light soil mix of peat moss, perlite and vermiculite. It should also have good drainage and needs to be watered every few weeks. Do allow the soil to dry out between watering as the roots will rot if left sitting in water.

If planted in a container, the tree will not grow larger than 8 feet. The tree itself has thorns, but the fruit is worth the effort. It is not freeze tolerant, so do not place the tree outside in the winter. Do keep it warm, as it loves the heat and will blossom if kept in 80 to 90 degrees.

Be sure to mist the leaves with a water spray daily. The trees love humidity.

The lemon blossoms of the Ponderosa Lemon Tree are very sweet smelling and do need to be pollinated by hand. To pollinate, use a small paint brush and rub the pollen within the flower. Fruit will ripen in approximately 6 to 9 months.

Fertilize the tree approximately every six months using citrus tree fertilizer or an acid loving water soluble product.

The lemon tree is usually grown by grafting cuttings to various citrus root stocks and can also be grown from seed. Be sure to check with your local nursery or a reputable online nursery for great trees.

Since these trees are very easy to care for, you have no problems having natural lemon juice for cooking and the fruit because of its size and bumpy skin is a wonderful conversation starter. Enjoy

Throw away the old idea that you have to have greens in a salad; instead, enjoy this fantastic and healthy citrus salad.

Get blood oranges if at all possible; pomelos are another good alternative, but they can often be expensive to purchase.

When picking fruits for this salad, you should stick to sweeter fruits, such as clementines, tangerines, navel oranges, and even grapefruit, in order to have a good mix of flavors.

Prepare all of your fruit; you can start by leveling off the fruit. Just chop the ends off, then stand it up for easier access. Following that, cut the peel off, leaving as little of it left on the pulp as you can, getting the pith out of the way as well.

Cut disks of fruit and make it aesthetically pleasing by coming up with a beautiful arrangement for it. Slice or chop shallots or red onions and sprinkle that over the citrus salad, along with some salt.

Top it all off with a salad dressing that will accent the wonderful flavors of the citrus fruit. Here’s my dressing recipe: citrus juice, sherry vinegar, olive oil, and a little bit of honey. Mix it all together and pour it over your salad; voila! When it comes to the citrus juice, use either lemon or lime; if you want to mix it up a bit, try sprinkling black pepper or cayenne into it.

Get that great anise flavor in by including fresh tarragon, and you’ll end up with a great way to wait out the winter in a very delicious salad.

The history of limettas dates back to early Roman times when lemons were used primarily for ornamental purposes. Still grown primarily in the Mediterranean regions, limettas started to make an appearance during the Gold Rush days and to this day California, Arizona and Florida are all popular limetta growing states.

Although a member of the lemon family, limettas have a number of different characteristics that set them apart. Although yellow on the outside like a lemon, the rind is quite bumpy. The flesh has a greenish tinge to it and unlike a lemon that gets your mouth good and puckered, the limetta is quite sweet and not acidic. It has often been described as tasting like homemade lemonade without having to add all that sugar! As its popularity grows, chefs around the world are seeking it out for its wonderfully sweet and juicy flavors.

Some say this fruit is the ultimate one to use for making mouth-watering lemon pie and homemade lemonade. Because it is never bitter, it also makes great sauces to top seafood rice and other dishes. Limettas are also easy to preserve for cooking and baking and once sealed will keep for months, providing zesty lemony flavor whenever you need it. Limettas should be most abundant in produce markets from November to May.

Many online sellers of citrus trees offer limettas in containers for either use as houseplants or for outdoor gardening. It is recommended that limetta trees growing outdoors be brought inside during the colder months to prevent damage.

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If you plan to harvest your fresh fruit, not for the kitchen but citrus fruit baskets then here are a few ideas which you may want to consider:

Use a unique container:

When arranging your citrus fruit baskets consider using something other than an ordinary wicker or woven basket. Instead pile your fruit into a container which can be used again. For example, try making an arrangement using a glass bowl which can then be used after as an everyday fruit bowl. Or try to arrange your citrus fruit into a glass pitcher, to be used to prepare and serve fresh lemonade!

Include some fruity essentials!

When gathering all of the gifts to include in your citrus fruit baskets try adding a few kitchen tools and essentials into the mix such as a lemon zester, juicer or even a fancy peeler! Other nifty additions could include stir sticks for fruity drinks or a set of summery and festive paper napkins!

Mix it up and add some food to your fruit!

When picking your fresh harvest to give as gifts consider including some food in your citrus fruit basket. For example, if you have decided to give a collection of sweet watery oranges, maybe include some dark chocolate treats which are sure to compliment the fruit. Or if you are giving some bright, savory lemons maybe include some liquors so that your recipient can prepare zesty Lemon Drop Martinis!

Growing you own fruit to use in citrus fruit baskets is a sentimental and creative gift option. Your recipients are sure to appreciate your gardening efforts and will welcome such a thoughtful and useful gesture!

First thing to keep in mind is climate and location. Do you want to plant the tree directly in your yard or in a container? If you will be planting outdoors you should do some research into which types of trees are most adaptable to your particular climate.

Citrus trees are hardy but they cannot survive below 20 degrees for more than a few hours and thin-skinned fruits like lemons are damaged with anything below 28 degrees.

Citrus trees thrive in the moderate temperatures of California, Florida, Texas and Arizona. However, if you live in a colder region, don’t despair. You can buy a potable citrus tree that you can bring inside during the winter. There are dwarf varieties of most citrus trees that are excellent for this.

You should remember that all citrus trees require frequent deep watering. They also need nutrient rich soil and should be fertilized often if you want them to bear fruit.

Lemon, orange and grapefruit trees all need plenty of sunlight to grow as well as soil that drains well. Well draining soil is necessary to protect roots from rot. Observe your yard carefully before choosing where to plant.

The next important choice in buying a citrus tree is an easy one- which fruit do you most enjoy? (Or perhaps this is the hardest choice). Once you have decided on a particular fruit – lemons for example – do some research on which type will be best for you.

Some people prefer Meyer lemons, which are sweeter while others swear by Lisbons for their tart, tangy flavor. Once you have grown your first citrus tree, you will certainly want to plant others.