Lemons: They Come in Pink?

What if pink lemonade could be made straight from the lemon? Well these little babies can do the trick!

They are variegated pink lemons. According to a New York Times Article the variegated pink lemons came from a mutant in an ordinary lemon tree, Citrus limon eureka in Burbank, California around 1930. Lycopene gives the pink color to the lemons, much like it does for pink grapefruits.

These variegated lemons come from trees with attractive variegated leaves. The trees can be grown in pots, and are popular among gardeners because of their beauty.

Lemon trees are more susceptible to cold weather than orange trees, however they can be grown in poor soil.

The picture on the right shows the flesh of three kinds of lemons. The variegated pink lemon is in the front, and the small lemon in the back is a typical Eureka lemon. The large lemon in the back is a Meyer lemon. The Meyer lemon is a hybrid of a lemon and mandarin orange.

So of course I had to do a taste test. I first tasted a bit of the flesh of each lemon. Between tastes I had a cracker to cleanse my palate. I then tasted the juice of each lemon. My impression of the pink lemon was that it had a slightly peppery taste. Otherwise, the taste was quite similar to that of the regular lemon. They Meyer lemon tasted the best to me. The lemon taste component was much stronger than the orange, but the orange moderated the tartness.

The juice is shown on the left. The regular lemon juice is on the far left, the pink juice is in the center, and the Meyer juice is on the right. I had pretty much the same impression of the juices as I had of the flesh tasting.

The great advantage of the pink lemon is its beauty. I can visualize sitting on the back porch in the summer with a glass pitcher of lemonade with some pink lemon slices floating in the juice. How magical!


The origin of the lemon is uncertain, although it is commonly thought to have originated in or near India. Lemons were known to the Ancient Romans, so they must have entered Europe earlier than the 1st century AD. They were introduced to Persia, Iraq, and Egypt around 700 AD, and was first mentioned in literature as a component of Islamic gardens in the 10th century. Christopher Columbus brought lemon seeds to the New World on his ships.

Lemons have many uses, including

• stain remover
• bleaching freckles
• furniture polish
• perfume and cologne
• cattle feed (the peels)
• keeping flowers fresh longer than normal
• diuretic, laxative, cold preventative and remedy, scurvy preventative and other medical uses.

Lemons provide a familiar enhancement to many foods, and delight us with their beautiful colors and flavors.
What is your favorite use for lemons? Have you tried pink lemons?

More information about lemons can be found at http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/lemon.html.