Sheal, I've placed unripe citrus in a sunny window even when they were green..it took time but they did eventually turn the color they were supposed to be.
I grow citrus in containers, (live in IL) so can't advise how long fruit should take to ripen, but I usuallly allow fruit to remain on trees until they fall off w/o plucking them. Maybe you should wait??? or do they fall off before ripening? Toni

Thanks for the help Toni. I had to cut parts of the tree off, which is why some of the fruit is no longer on the tree. There is still green fruit on the tree! I'll try to ripen them in the window!

Sheal, why did you have to cut the tree? I wanted to ask, how large are the fruits you removed? How much more ripening would they have required if still on the branches? If too small, they might be bitter. Time will only tell..Good luck on your citrus anyway. Toni

Hey Toni...
I had to cut branches of the tree off because it had grown so large while I was out of town (5 months) that I could not walk past it, it was growing up against my house and the backyard fence as well. Really, it was overgrown. Too much tree, too little space!

The fruits are mostly full size. Some are as large as softballs. Even the smallest ones are about the size of navel oranges! I have had them in my window and some on a table in my front yard, some of them are turning yellow nicely, don't know how they taste yet. Some are still green though. I guess it's just going to take some time!

Thanks for all the help!

Sheal, now 5 months is a vacation..LOL.
Did you have someone caring for your trees while away? Did they fertilize?

I'd place the unripe fruits in the sun..they should ripen..I tried this several times and it always worked..Patience is the key.
Those that are still on the tree should be left on, unless they look like they're starting to rot..then I'd remove them. Good luck, and hope they're tasty..Let us know how they taste when you get to eat one..Toni

Hi Sheal,
I'm glad hearing most of your fruit ripened. It can take time, but does eventually ripen.
What do you mean you tried some with soda? You mean, soda pop? Baking soda? LOL..I don't understand.
Ironically, I grow citrus for looks, which is why I fertilize. For veggies I grew in the garden, they NEVER get fed or sprayed w/anything other than water..we devour too much junk as it is..
Anyway, I'm glad hearing everything worked out..Toni

Haha! I tried the lemons with soda pop...here in Tucson it's just soda! And last weekend I made a glass of homemade lemonade. It was delicious! My grandmother sent me a lemon pie recipe which I am going to try to make here in the next few weeks. My lemons on the tree are yellow and I think they are going to start coming down soon. As long as I don't lose any to a frost...hopefully not!
Thank You!

first you need a lemon from the store let it sit out and mold.
I know it sounds gross but place them with the green lemons that should ripen them.

Collin

Collinm, this is the first I hear of that method. Do you know what the reasoning/science is behind it? I'm very curious.

Does anyone know if you can ripen lemons (or other fruits) by wrapping them in newspaper? I have heard that works.

Thanks.

Hope

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My lemon tree is in a pot on my porch. It has several ripening lemons on it. They're almost yellow but they're still green on the end and not a bright yellow yet. Our first freeze is coming and it's going down in the 20's. I don't know if I should go ahead and harvest or leave them on the tree in a sheltered spot. Any advice?

I have 100's of lemons each Nov. on my Ponderosa .... I wonder how to keep them from rotting after picking.. I give many away.. but, would love to have a way to keep them from rotting for me!.

Linda I put the whole lemon in the freezer and take it out when I need fresh juice to make a pie. I zest some before freezing. This works great for me.

Citrus do not ripen off the tree; they may color up, but if they are not ripe when you pick them, they will never get better (juice/sugar). If the lemons are ripe but not colored when you pick them, the best way to color them (aside from liquid or gas ethylene) is to put them in the dark, not the sun. What you are trying to do is degrade the chlorophyll so that the yellow color can be seen. In the industry we call that degreening.

I know apples are able to be picked early. Kept in conditions. Then a ripe apple left nearby ripenes them up. Most fruit is in the same class.

Pam, you do realize how old this thread is? But good info

A point of clarity... Citrus fruits of all types do not ripen, they mature.

Ripen is a process when starch changes to sugar..