Even though lemons are very rarely peeled and eaten out of
hand, they are one of the most popular and important fruits.
Lemon trees produce year-round with blossoms, buds, and
mature fruit appearing all at once on the tree. (I thought
this was interesting!!) If not picked when mature, the fruit
may grow to 12 – 17 inches in diameter, and the peel
colors can sometimes get quite freakish blends of green,
yellow and brown. Lemons are usually hand picked when
they are about 2-1/2 inches in diameter and still relatively
green. The top five lemon producing countries are United
States, Mexico, Italy, Spain and India. California, with 30
percent of the world market, produces almost all the
lemons consumed domestically . Arizona is a distant
second. Look for lemons that have a glossy, bright yellow
color. The skin should also have a fine graded appearance.
Ripe lemons should feel heavy for their size, but avoid
lemons that are hard or spongy and soft.
Source: www.tonytantillo.com/fruits/lemons