In the 19th century (1800s), lemons were being planted commercially in Florida and California. Lemons have to be picked by hand and can’t be picked when wet. They are picked when the peel is green, but as they’re cured, the peel turns yellow, becomes thinner, and the pulp gets juicier.

INFORMATION BELOW FROM 1800s COOKBOOKS

GRATING LEMONS
The object of using grated rind of lemon is to obtain the fragrance and flavor, which differ very greatly from any extracts, however good. Now the whole of the oil which contains this fragrance is at the surface — the yellow portion of the rind. Therefore this, and only this, must be removed with the grater. The white part underneath is bitter, contains no particle of lemon flavor, and will cause milk or cream to curdle.

A lemon should be grated evenly, beginning at the end and working round it, using as small a surface of the grater as possible to prevent waste. The habit of turning the lemon as you grate comes as easily as to turn an apple under the knife when peeling. Generally twice across the grater and back between each turn will remove all the essential oil, but, while guarding against grating too deeply, care must be taken to remove the whole of the yellow surface. A well-grated lemon should be exactly of the same shape as before, have no deep scores into the pith, and have an oily-looking surface.

LEMON CREAM
Put to a pint of thick cream, the yolks of two eggs well beaten, four ounces of fine sugar, and the thin rind of a lemon. Boil it up, and stir it till nearly cold. Put the juice of a lemon into a bowl, and pour the cream upon it, stirring it till quite cold. White lemon cream is made in the same way, only put the whites of the eggs instead of the yolks, whisking it extremely well to a froth.

LEMON CUSTARDS
Beat the yolks of eight eggs till they are as white as milk. Then put to them a pint of boiling water, the rinds of two lemons grated, and the juice sweetened to taste. Stir it on the fire till it thickens, then add a large glass of rich wine, and half a glass of brandy. Give the whole one scald*, and put it in cups to be eaten cold.

*one scald – bring to a temperature just below the boiling point

LEMON HONEYCOMB
Sweeten the juice of a lemon to your taste, and put it in the dish that you intend to serve it in. Mix the white of an egg well beaten, with a pint of rich cream, and a little sugar. Whisk it, and as the froth rises, put it on the lemon juice. Prepare it the day before it is to be used.

LEMON BRANDY
Pare two dozen of lemons, and steep the peels in a gallon of brandy. Squeeze the lemons on two pounds of fine sugar, and add six quarts of water. The next day put the ingredients together, pour on three pints of boiling milk, let it stand two days, and strain it off.

LEMON PICKLE
Wipe six lemons and cut each into eight pieces. Put on them a pound of salt, six large cloves of garlic, two ounces of horseradish sliced thin. Also a quarter of an ounce each of cloves, mace, nutmeg, and cayenne, and two ounces of flour of mustard. Then add two quarts of vinegar, and boil it a quarter of an hour in a jar, placed in a kettle of boiling water. Then set the jar aside closely covered, stirring it daily for six weeks, and afterwards put the pickle into small bottles.

LEMON SYRUP
Put a pint of fresh lemon juice to a pound and three quarters of lump sugar. Dissolve it by a gentle heat, skim it till the surface is quite clear, and add an ounce of lemon peel cut very thin. Let them simmer very gently for a few minutes, and run the syrup through a flannel. When cold, bottle and cork it closely, and keep it in a cool place.

LEMON PUDDING
Beat the yolks of four eggs. Add four ounces of white sugar, the rind of a lemon being rubbed with some lumps of the sugar to take the essence. Then take the peel and beat it into a paste, add the juice of the lemon, and mix all together with four or five ounces of warmed butter. Put a crust into a shallow dish, nick the edges, and put the above into it. When sent to table, turn the pudding out of the dish.

LEMON PUFFS
Beat and sift a pound and a quarter of double-refined sugar. Grate the rind of two large lemons, and mix it well with the sugar. Then beat the whites of three new-laid eggs a great while. Add them to the sugar and peel, and beat it together for an hour. Make it up into any shape, put it on paper laid on tin plates, and bake in a moderate oven. Oiling the paper will make it come off with ease, but it should not be removed till quite cold.

LEMON SAUCE
Cut thin slices of lemon into very small dice, and put them into melted butter. Give it one boil, and pour it over boiled fowls.

LEMON WHITE SAUCE
Cut the peel of a small lemon very thin, and put it into a pint of sweet rich cream, with a sprig of lemon thyme, and ten white peppercorns. Simmer gently till it tastes well of the lemon, then strain and thicken it with a quarter of a pound of butter, and a dessert-spoonful of flour rubbed in it. Boil it up, stir it well, and pour the juice of the lemon strained into it. Dish up the chickens, and mix with the cream a little white gravy quite hot, but do not boil them together: add a little salt to flavor.

LEMON JUICE
In order to keep this article ready for use, the best way is to buy the fruit when it is cheap, and lay it two or three days in a cool place. If too unripe to squeeze immediately, cut the peel off some of them, and roll them under the hand, to make them part with the juice more freely. Squeeze the juice into a china basin, and strain it through some muslin which will not permit any of the pulp to pass. Having prepared some small phials, perfectly dry, fill them with the juice so near the top as only to admit half a teaspoon of sweet oil* into each. Cork the bottles tight, and set them upright in a cool place. When the lemon juice is wanted, open only such a sized bottle as will be used in two or three days. Wind some clean cotton round a skewer, and dipping it in, the oil will be attracted. When all of it is removed, the juice will be as fine as when first bottled. Hang the peels up to dry, and keep them from the dust.

*sweet oil – olive oil

LEMONADE
Pare a quantity of lemons, and pour some hot water on the peels. While infusing, boil some sugar and water to a good syrup, with the white of an egg whipt up. When it boils, pour a little cold water into it. Set it on the fire again and when it boils, take off the pan and let it stand by to settle. If there be any scum, take it off, and pour it clear from the sediment to the water in which the peels were infused. Add the juice from the lemons. Stir and taste it, and add as much more water as shall be necessary to make a very rich lemonade. Wet a jelly bag, and squeeze it dry. Then strain the liquor, and it will be very fine.

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