Although no lemon is truly sweet, the Meyer lemon tastes sweeter or less acid than others. A single tree may bear as many as 3,000 lemons annually. Commercial harvest for the Meyer is November through March and for the Bearss, July through December. They are available fresh, year round in the supermarket, as are frozen and bottled lemon juice. Though the lemon is an excellent source of vitamin C, it begins to lose its vitamin power soon after it's squeezed.
Lemons are low in calories and sodium and fat and cholesterol free.
Choose fruit with smooth brightly colored skin with no tinge of green. Lemons should be firm, plump and heavy for their size. Avoid product that is soft, spongy, wrinkled or has bumpy, rough or hard skin. Medium to large sized lemons are generally better quality. At room temperature they will keep for about a week.