Lemons and gasoline

Yesterday, I bought two lemons and I paid 2/3 the price of a gallon of gas for them. What's going on that I haven't heard about?

They are not that high here. We bought two nice ones yesterday for $1.19.

[Robin Garr]

Yesterday, I bought two lemons and I paid 2/3 the price of a gallon of gas for them. What's going on that I haven't heard about?

Thomas, could they have been Meyer lemons, and you just didn't notice? Meyer lemons (I think they're actually a lemon x orange cross) are still uncommon in the east, and turn up mostly in the winter. They're far more expensive than regular lemons, but they're delicious ... tart like a lemon should be, but relatively sweet, to the extent you can <i>almost</i> eat them out of hand.

Yesterday, I bought two lemons and I paid 2/3 the price of a gallon of gas for them. What's going on that I haven't heard about?

Thomas, could they have been Meyer lemons, and you just didn't notice? Meyer lemons (I think they're actually a lemon x orange cross) are still uncommon in the east, and turn up mostly in the winter. They're far more expensive than regular lemons, but they're delicious ... tart like a lemon should be, but relatively sweet, to the extent you can <i>almost</i> eat them out of hand.

No, Robin, they aren't Meyer's (incidentally, Meyer's are a cross between a lemon and a Mandarin orange).

I got me a Meyer tree this summer--have it indoors right now. It is loaded with tiny, but growing, lemons. Can't wait! While it flowered, it perfumed the whole kitchen.

[Robin Garr]

they aren't Meyer's

I guess you just got bamboozled, then!

Seriously, I don't know. I did a little Google News searching but couldn't find anything about a lemon crisis. Bill Spencer is our resident lemon expert ... maybe he can jump in on this.

they aren't Meyer's

I guess you just got bamboozled, then!

Seriously, I don't know. I did a little Google News searching but couldn't find anything about a lemon crisis. Bill Spencer is our resident lemon expert ... maybe he can jump in on this.

The damned things cost me 2 for $2, which, if a consumer looks carefully, is $1 a lemon...increased the cost of my catfish dinner.

Didn't lemons get trashed from some weather problem a few months ago? I think I vaguely remember hearing that they were going to be quite expensive until next season.

I just received my quarterly health insurance premium--increase.

Now the lemons look like a steal!

Oh, I thought this was another automobile thread. I happen to have heard that the new hybrid Citroën runs on lemon juice. The ad said something about a zesty driving experience.

Oh, I thought this was another automobile thread. I happen to have heard that the new hybrid Citroën runs on lemon juice. The ad said something about a zesty driving experience.

It's just a little squirt of a car...

You guys might remember early in 07 CA had a devastating freeze, and many citrus trees didn't make it through. Thus, not only was a crop lost, but the means of production for many seasons to come.

Get used to high citrus prices.

You guys might remember early in 07 CA had a devastating freeze, and many citrus trees didn't make it through. Thus, not only was a crop lost, but the means of production for many seasons to come.

Get used to high citrus prices.

That's it. Now I remember.

Yesterday, I bought two lemons and I paid 2/3 the price of a gallon of gas for them. What's going on that I haven't heard about?

%^)

Nearly 100 percent of domestically produced lemons are grown in California and Arizona ... the third week of January 2007 these growing areas received sub-freezing weather mostly in the low to mid 20's for a number of days in a row ... the effect of this freeze was to inhibit the trees from producing flowers last Spring which has led to a significant reduction in this year's crop ... in addition, both growing areas received numerous significant wind storms through the Spring and early Summer that downgraded the quality of the abnormally small volume crop that was on the trees ... therefore, there are MUCH fewer lemons AND there is much fewer Fancy grade lemons ... as such, the farm gate price of lemons is at a record high for the Winter time AND the price of Fancy grade lemons is even higher ... we are selling Fancy grade lemons for between $35 and $40 a carton ... add at least $6 per carton freight due to the astronomically high diesel fuel prices then multiply that delivered cost by 250 percent which is the typical retail markup and WA-LA you get the kind of prices you are seeing in the marketplace ... the four most used counts of lemons are 95's, 115's, 140's, and 165's (number of fruit per 40 pound carton) ... using the above formula, that would make 95's $1.21 per lemon, 115's $1.00 per lemon, 140's $0.82 per lemon, and 165's $0.70 per lemon ... AND all the lemons are MOSTLY 95's and 115's so there are not many cheaper lemons available for the retail market ...

FWIW - EVEN at these prices, our growers will lose money this year because they just don't have enough fruit to offset their growing costs ...

Clink !

%^)

Yesterday, I bought two lemons and I paid 2/3 the price of a gallon of gas for them. What's going on that I haven't heard about?

%^)

Nearly 100 percent of domestically produced lemons are grown in California and Arizona ... the third week of January 2007 these growing areas received sub-freezing weather mostly in the low to mid 20's for a number of days in a row ... the effect of this freeze was to inhibit the trees from producing flowers last Spring which has led to a significant reduction in this year's crop ... in addition, both growing areas received numerous significant wind storms through the Spring and early Summer that downgraded the quality of the abnormally small volume crop that was on the trees ... therefore, there are MUCH fewer lemons AND there is much fewer Fancy grade lemons ... as such, the farm gate price of lemons is at a record high for the Winter time AND the price of Fancy grade lemons is even higher ... we are selling Fancy grade lemons for between $35 and $40 a carton ... add at least $6 per carton freight due to the astronomically high diesel fuel prices then multiply that delivered cost by 250 percent which is the typical retail markup and WA-LA you get the kind of prices you are seeing in the marketplace ... the four most used counts of lemons are 95's, 115's, 140's, and 165's (number of fruit per 40 pound carton) ... using the above formula, that would make 95's $1.21 per lemon, 115's $1.00 per lemon, 140's $0.82 per lemon, and 165's $0.70 per lemon ... AND all the lemons are MOSTLY 95's and 115's so there are not many cheaper lemons available for the retail market ...

FWIW - EVEN at these prices, our growers will lose money this year because they just don't have enough fruit to offset their growing costs ...

Clink !

%^)

Thanks, Bill. I had done some research and discovered the information.

Having once been a grape grower in the Finger Lakes, I know exactly the problem.

Hmmm, they say when life hands you lemons, you should make lemonade. And when there are no lemons? Then what?