Giant ‘lemon’ zests up Eden winter

January 18, 2011

The Eden Project in Cornwall, home to the biggest rainforest in captivity, is known for doing things on a large scale and fruit is no exception.  

This huge citrus may look like a giant lemon, but is actually a citron (Citrus medica) which grows in Eden’s Mediterranean Biome.

Unlike other citrus fruits, the citron contains little or no juice and is made up mostly of a thick white rind.  

It is usually grown to make candied peel but is also added to pickles and preserves in South India, Iranian jam as well as fragrant South Korean tea.

Catherine Cutler, Eden's Mediterranean Biome Supervisor, said: “We are really pleased with the citron tree this year. We’ve had an excellent crop, which is great, because people are always amazed when they see them.”

The citron can be found in the Mediterranean Biome’s Citrus Grove along with other curious fruits such as the Buddha’s Hand (Citrus medica digitata) - a relative of the citron with long finger-like sections - and the Limequat (X Citrofortunella floridana) - a cross between the key lime and the kumquat.