There are a couple lemon trees nearby that have enormous lemons in December and into January. I hadn’t checked our favorite tree because it’s too early. What? Tomorrow is December?! How did that happen already?
So Joel, more on top of things than I, rode past the tree today and picked up these.
This is Joel’s photo. I stole it from his Facebook page. Thanks you Joel
There are so many kinds of “limons” here in Panama. The name covers everything from little key limes, bigger limes, a variety of green or green with gray patches citrus fruits that have yellow or orange sour flesh, to these huge lemons. There is everything here except the traditional lemons that we find in the US (which you can find imported at Pricesmart), but the various limons here are really good so there is nothing to complain about, for sure.
These big lemons are the closest in flavor to our US lemons. They are the same yellow color inside also but the skins are edible, not bitter like most lemons. They are so big though, bigger than any grapefruit.
I’ve written a couple other posts, one in 2014 when we discovered them, and another last year also. Check them if you want to see pictures of the tree. There is another tree in the neighborhood and both of them are attractive, round shaped, not really tall, but have vicious thorns. Thank goodness the fruit drops to the ground when ready so I only have to pick it up. Between the two trees I’ll have plenty of fruit for the neighbors, myself, and to freeze for later.
About the weather, I am happy to report we woke up to party cloudy skies and I was able to get in a good bike ride. But, it’s one of those days where a cloud will pass overhead and soak everything underneath, and then move on. I got wet once. Joel went out later and also got wet. I expect we will see more of these showers that have also passed over the house.
I was able to get out though so I’m not complaining. We are not in Boquete either, which is a good thing right now. Friends report that they have had thick fog rolling through for hours every day and it’s so wet that mold is growing on the walls and ceilings. Our clothes get musty smelling if we haven’t worn them in a while, but thank goodness our humidity control measures have prevented them from molding, and there isn’t any mold growing anywhere on the house.
It is the tropics in the rainy season. We have warm and humid. The mountains have cooler and humid. In three months though we will be begging for rain!
The Panama Adventure 
That dollar in the image definitely eliminates the option of guessing the size of the lemons!
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He’s good at doing that in photos for comparison
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Hola Kris,
I tasted my first limón dulce in Chiriqui from one of Nena’s aunt’s in Boquete. What a surprise! Another shock was the varieties of lemons there. Chiriqui can grow stuff that no where else can.
This time of the year in Boquete can be miserable. Weeks in paradise with no sun and humidity that causes it to rain if you clap your hands. Haven’t seen those reports in the best places to retire articles? We had “hot lockers” in the barracks for our dress uniforms and seldom worn leather foot gear. Basically it was just a concrete closet with little ventilation and strip heaters to drive out the humidity. Of course, we didn’t have to pay the electric bill!
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Is that what this is? A limon dulce? This one isn’t dulce, but a friend shared another kind of lemon once that wasn’t sour. These are as sour as any lemon but they make great lemonade.
Those reports don’t want to mention anything negative about Panama (or anywhere), which is something I disagree with. People believe what they hear and get unfortunate surprises. Of course one could say if you don’t do your own homework then who is to blame, really?
Yeah, leather doesn’t work out well here. Neither does particle board furniture or anything sensitive to humidity. I almost never need skin lotion or chap stick though, so there are good aspects. Joel lived in Guam when he was young and said every closet had an electric light bulb for the heat and mold control. Now though with our efficient light bulbs that wouldn’t work.
We’ve got it made here. We can go to Boquete anytime we want, especially now with that great new road but we live down here close to everything and our house isn’t molding 😀
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Hola Kris,
no, these are not limón dulce, you have what Nena calls a naranja agria or bitter orange. Makes great chicha with crushed ice, perfect thirst killer on a hot day.
Nena and I have often thought about Potrerillos for a winter home but that long uphill runway of a road and the flatness was too boring for a former mountain farm girl! haha She likes David, and spent most of her growing up time with aunts there. David is a bit busier now than then, of course.
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Ahh ok, thanks and yes, they make great chicha (or what we call lemonade).
LOL reminds me of my friends who decided to bike from Via Boquete towards Potrerillos. It’s flat, it will be easy! Maybe she would like the road towards Caldera with the beautiful views of the mountains.
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The lemons look wonderful. I really don’t think I could do the mold thing though, ever. I love tropical climates, but not the mold. I would freak out if I had mold all over my house. I’m glad that doesn’t happen for everyone down there.
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My friends are freaking out a bit too. This is not a regular thing. We have had a very unusual amount of rain and moisture, and the humidity is unusually high even for here so there are pockets up in the mountains who are having a real problem.
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