From today, Tesco will sell a new variety of guaranteed seedless lemon that will put an end to chefs and mixologists having to retrieve fallen pips out of their cocktails, health drinks, pancakes, fish and salad dishes.
Tesco citrus buyer Emily Ridge said: “At last now customers will no longer have to spend extra time picking out the pips after squeezing lemon on a wonderful meal or drink. Seedless lemons were first trialled about 15 years ago but unfortunately until now they could never be guaranteed to be completely pip free. This new variety has been growing and maturing for many years and now is finally ready to hit supermarket shelves.”
The lemons come from a natural mutation found in Australia and are now grown in South Africa. New trees are produced by using buds from the seedless tree and grafting them onto suitable rootstock to create new trees.
Seedless lemons were trialed many years back in the UK, but due to a lack of consistent good quality supply, never took off. This new variety however is being successfully grown in South Africa and Spain and has the potential to allow for year round supply.
Tesco has a strong record of offering customers interesting lemon varieties. Two years ago it launched the sweet Meyer Lemon, grown in China which combines the sweetness of a tart orange with the zestiness of a traditional lemon. Before that it launched the Lemon Melon, a unique fruit grown in Spain that adds a citrus punch to the smooth melon flavour and texture.
The lemons are supplied to Tesco by AMT Fruit, based in Peterborough, which is one of the UK’s leading fruit suppliers, and has worked with the supermarket for more than 20 years.
It is working with Tesco on the global food waste reduction initiative, Champions 12.3 – a campaign to reduce food waste by 50 per cent by the year 2030.
Tesco’s Jaffa Seedless Lemons will go on sale at 320 stores across the UK and will cost £1.50 per pack of around four.
For more information: tescoplc.com