Marketing calendar – lemons and grapefruits

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Lemons were brought to Spain by the Arabs. They are elongated and teat-shaped with thin, strong, resistant rind. When fully ripe they are deep yellow and release a unique perfume when they are cut. Inside, the pulp is juicy and can contain small pips. Lemons have very high levels of vitamin C and potassium and it is believed that the rind contains compounds which help the body to prevent some types of cancer.
Lemons		 
Limón primofiori    The origin of this variety is unknown. The tree is vigorous, thorny and very productive. It is also sometimes called Mesero or Fino because of its thin smooth skin. The fruit is small, round or oval in shape and very juicy. It may contain some pips. This very early variety has a high juice content and high acidity levels.
Primofiori		                                               
Limón verna     The origin of this variety is unknown, although it has never been grown outside Spain. The Verna tree is large and has few thorns. The pulp is tender and the juice has good acidity levels, although there is less of it than in other varieties. The fruit is medium sized or large with a pronounced teat and thick, rough, irregular skin. It doesn’t usually have pips.
Verna		                                               
 
The origin of the grapefruit is uncertain, though it is believed to have been created by the spontaneous crossing of a sweet orange and a pummelo around on the Caribbean island of Barbados around 300 years ago. Grapefruits are very large, between 9 and 15 cm in diameter, and are globular and slightly oblate. The rind is thick and strong but may be thinner and rough. It is greeny-yellow in colour and turns yellow, and then reddish orange, as it ripens.
Grapefruits		 
Star Ruby    This variety originated as a spontaneous mutation of the Thompson grapefruit in Texas in 1931. The tree is large and vigorous and the fruit is medium-sized. Its yellow rind often has a pinkish blush in places. The pulp has a pink tinge and a bitter taste. It doesn’t usually have pips.
Star Ruby		                                               
Pomelo marsh    This variety is also known as Marsh Seedless and White Marsh. It probably originated from seed in Florida around 1860.
The tree is large and vigorous and the fruit is medium-sized compared with other types of grapefruit. The fruit is of very quality and has practically no pips.
It is harvested from October onwards, though the fruit remains in good condition on the tree for several months. It is a very productive variety which needs to be grown in hot climates to produce optimum results. (Source: IVIA)
Marsh		                                               
Red Blush     This variety is also known as Ruby, Ruby Red and Red Seedless. It originated as a spontaneous mutation of the Thompson grapefruit in Texas in 1931.
It is very similar to the Marsh variety with the only real difference being the colour of the fruit; its yellow rind often has a pinkish blush in places, and the pulp has a pink tinge. The warmer the climate it is grown in, the deeper the colour and the better the quality of the fruit. (Source: IVIA)
Red Blush		                                               
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