Amalfi Lemons

There's no sight of sour faces here in Amalfi. The lemons organically grown in surrounding terraces in volcanic soil are sweet enough to eat whole, skin included. Known broadly as 'limone costa d'Amalfi IGP' or Almalfi lemons with geographic protection meaning they only grow in this form on the Amalfi coast, these lemons provide Amalfi with an unique identity. The main streets of all Amalfi Coast towns are spilling with lemon products from candles to soaps, from limoncello to candies, from cakes to granita to overflowing crates of the fruit itself; they appear everywhere. Looking upwards from the sea towards the cliffs that line the coast, terraces abundant with olive trees, grape vines, fruits, vegetables and lemons fill every square meter. A walk along any of the ancient mule paths or steep stairways will have you walking alongside lemon groves and often ducking underneath overhanging lemon 'vines'. 

A most unique method of cultivating the Amalfi coast lemon in the early 1900s was to train the young plant to grow first vertically up a pole made from local chestnut trees and then crawl horizontally over a wooden trellis. This unique pattern of growth alters the ecosystem within and around the plant. With greater air ventilation, more sun exposure and less humidity, the fruit flourishes and is capable of growing extremely large. The lemons also have ICEA Biologico certification meaning they are certified as an ethical and environmentally friendly product that is also organic and chemical free. 

The main types of Amalfi lemons grown today are the Sfusato Amalfitano which has an important culinary role in sweets such as gelato, granita and cakes. The juice is used as fruit juice (spremute di limone) but the flesh, peel, seeds and leaves are also utilised in various products. The digestivo, limoncello, is also produced from the peel only and served ice cold at the end of meals to aid digestion. The lemons are also used therapeutically as the high Vitamin C and antioxidant qualities, as well as essential oils, is said to boost immunity and also aid in the treatment of skin issues such as acne. 

Organic fertilisation is used but solely from goat or rabbit excrement rather than cow or horse fertiliser once a year. We visited Costieragrumi which was established in the 1927 in Minori by the De Riso family. Carlo De Riso represents the third generation of the family business which is affiliated with the Consortium for the Promotion of the Limone Costa d'Amalfi, an institution constituted with the aim of promoting and safeguarding the ongoing production of the fruit. With a main focus on Sfusato Amalfitano lemon production, their are 3 main fruit sizes including Limone Costa d'Amalfi I.G.P. (small size), Sfusato Amalfitano (medium size), and Citrus Medical (large size). 

Costieragrumi processes around 1,000,000 kg per year from 350 small lemon producers surrounding Amalfi and Minori distributing them throughout Italy as well as Germany, France and the UK. The large crates of lemons, containing up to 67kg of fruit, are carted one by one on the heads of sturdy men sometimes down thousands of steps. Mules are used for heavier crates. 

The Costieragrumi Lemon Tour de Riso lead by Massimo and Sara takes small groups behind the scenes of this unique lemon production. Visiting a working lemon farm sprawled over multiple terraces on the steep hills high above Amalfi in the village of Minuta, you are lead underneath and through level after level of hanging lemons learning how they are grown, cared for, fertilised and harvested. Rabbits are kept on the farm and play a crucial role in lemon tree fertilisation. The high level of manual labour involved in the lemon cultivation and the lack of machines and other tools highlights the cost involved in production and the difficulty of life for growers. After the farm visit, a tasting itinerary in Pontone's piazza includes Sfusato Amalfitano salad consisting of small slices of sfusato amalfitano, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and salt; Babà, a Naples speciality cake usually soaked in Rum, instead are soaked in Limoncello; and Dolce D'Amalfi, a moist cake made with vanilla and lemon zest. The tour continues on to visit the Costieragrumi factory where Carlo de Riso welcomes guests warmly and shows how lemons are processed for various products or sorted ready for shipping. A demonstration of how limoncello is made is also presented. A relaxing and delicious way to finish this tour is with a lemon themed lunch on the terrace overlooking a private and tranquil cove between Amalfi and Minori.

More information: www.lemontourderiso.com; email Massimo: booking@lemontourderiso.com