LET YOUR LEMONS SHINE!
I would guess that there may be more lemon trees than any other type of fruit tree in San Francisco, and many of them fruit repeatedly all year round, but I've found that people consider them less than many other types of fruit. I will often go to pick plums or apples and find that there will also be an unassuming lemon tree on the property, heavy with fruit. I think it's because most folks don't eat raw lemons like other fresh fruit, they don't typically bite right into them, but they are easy to use in simple ways that still get you the vitamin C your body needs, especially in this winter season (despite our lack of winter weather!)
You can simply squeeze lemon into a glass of water or tea, juice them for lemonade, make a simple salad dressing with lemon juice and oil. Jaime, one of the students from our 2010 summer youth program would always grab a few lemons to squeeze over carne asada. My friend Susan, who teaches science at Mission High School (and teaches composting and seed saving in the garden! Awesome!), just told me that she takes meyer lemons (a smaller, sweeter variety) from her family orchard in to school and the students eat them with Pico de Gallo salt.
SHARE YOUR CITRUS!
Earlier this week I picked 114 lbs of oranges from a tree in Potrero. Winter citrus season is in full swing, and we want your extra fruit! I'll be sending out emails to folks who have registered citrus trees to check in and see if you have extra fruit. You can also contact me at producetothepeople@gmail.com or on our fruit tree registry by clicking here. I believe citrus fruit is a big part of winter preventative care, so please share what you've got so we can keep everyone healthy.
