Thursday, 18 January 2024
Lemons
It's cold out and the warmest place to be in our house is in the kitchen. Another supply of wood is being delivered tomorrow in case the cold weather overstays it's welcome. Long gone are the days when we could fell and cut our own wood. The load will be dropped in the drive and then we shall have a little bit of a workout in stacking it neatly under cover.
My Meyer lemon bush is outside the kitchen window under the verandah wrapped in fleece. It is not looking happy. I've had this bush for thirty years or so, it was a present from my father. Every year it produces a good crop of fruit. First it is smothered in blossom, many of which develop into small fruitlets. Then, like apple trees, there comes a point when many of these small fruits drop off. Last year, for some unknown reason, there was no drop and they just hung on. The bush is struggling to cope with such a large crop. The lemons have ripened but remain ridiculously small. When I heard the cold weather warning I went outside and harvested a good number of them in the hopes of giving the bush more of a fighting chance against the weather. I've taken many cuttings over the years so have got a backup, but I would hate to lose my father's present.
Perhaps I should make some lemon marmalade - stirring a jam pan over the stove would keep me warm!
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I would eat them as snacks. I have strange tastes.
ReplyDeleteWe had one each with some fish for tea. Meyer lemons are not as acidic as the shop bought variety so I'm sure that you would enjoy them as snacks.
DeleteYou are a very successful lemon grower - what a bountiful basket full. I suspect that they taste far better than those bought from a shop.
ReplyDeleteMeyer lemons are thin skinned and sweeter than the ones available in the shops. Mine are highly prized because they are a link to my father.
DeleteWhat a great haul even if they are smaller than you hoped. I bet they smell delicious.
ReplyDeleteWe lost one Meyer lemon tree after uncovering it too early in the spring. Now on our second tree and we're hoping it grows more this year. We have it covered for the winter, with a string of Christmas lights strung through it for heat - connected to a thermostat so they come on and off by themselves.
ReplyDeleteYour lemon haul is amazing!
Oh dear, now you're making me nervous for mine! last year it spent winter in the small greenhouse that receives no winter sun. It became covered in black mould that was difficult to remove. The other citrus, kept outside under the glass veranda, were much healthier, hence my decision to overwinter the Meyer outside. I hope I've made the right decision!
DeleteThey look perfect!
ReplyDeleteAs for the cold weather overstaying its welcome, well, it is only January after all.
Yes, don't remind me, the coldest months are still to come! But we've stacked our new supply of wood and it's a warming sight!
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