Meyer lemons are native to China , and are a cross between a citron , mandarin , and pomelo . For most of their history in China , they were only used for decoration , not as a food . In 1908 a USDA agent named Frank Meyer brought a specimen to the U . S . and by the 1940s , Meyers were flourishing in California . Unfortunately , the cloned Meyers were found to be carriers of a citrus virus , responsible for killing all kinds of citrus throughout the world . To contain the virus , Meyer lemon trees were destroyed . In the 1950 ’ s an improved Meyer lemon , certified to be disease free , was replanted and back in action . However , the Meyer lemon craze didn ’ t get started until the 1970 ’ s when Alice Waters , famed chef from the restaurant Chez Panisse and Martha Stewart helped make this special lemon extremely popular with their fancy tarts , lemon curds , and sorbets . The desire for these sweet , low-acid lemons with a distinctive floral fragrance made them a must-have in the kitchen and in the garden .

What ’ s the difference between Meyer lemons and regular lemons ?

Regular lemons are most likely Eureka or Lisbon lemons , the two most common varieties found in the produce section .

• Appearance – Regular lemons are larger in size , with thick , textured , bright , sunny skin , and medium yellow pulp .

• Taste – There ’ s a reason most of us don ’ t eat them out of hand — they are highly acidic and will make your mouth pucker . In fact , when Cook ’ s Illustrated conducted a pH test , they found standard lemon juice to be 1.3 times more acidic than Meyer lemon juice .

• Availability – While there are certain times of year that trees will bear more fruit , regular lemons know no season . You ’ ll find them readily available in the produce section all year long .

Meyer lemons

• Appearance – Meyer lemons are smaller and rounder than regular lemons , with smoother , thin , deep yellow to orange skin , and dark yellow pulp .

• Taste – While they ’ re moderately acidic , Meyer lemons don ’ t have the same tang as regular lemons . Instead , they ’ re much sweeter — so much so that some people enjoy adding the raw segments to their salads or desserts . Their rinds also have a more complex scent than regular lemons — a spicy bergamot fragrance that tastes and smells more like an herb or a spice . Meyer lemons also contain more juice than traditional lemons .

• Availability – While regular lemons are readily available all year long , your best bet for finding Meyers is from December through May . Meyer lemon season is short , so scoop them up while you can .

Can you substitute one for the other ?

Yes , in most cases . Just remember that regular lemons lack the sweetness of Meyer lemons . So , regular lemons will add a stronger acidity , while Meyer lemons will add more sweetness to a recipe . Also , some recipes really rely on that floral , herbal , spicy quality of the Meyer lemon rind , and substituting the acidic , less nuanced peel of a regular lemon can make a recipe turn

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