A green, unripe lemon on the branch, backlit

Seasons

Green for fragrance, yellow for fullness.

Same tree, same fruit. When it is picked changes both the aroma and the juice.

The periods shown are guides to sales and harvest taken from JA Hiroshima material. They shift with weather and stock, so please ask us about actual availability.

Updated 2026-10-05

Twelve months of Setoda lemons

Lemon flower and buds after rain — Lemon blossom and buds.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Sales & shipping (guide)

Open-field green lemonsOct–Dec

Picked early, before the fruit colours. Aroma and clean acidity.⁹¹⁰

Open-field yellow lemonsJan–May

Ripened on the tree. More juice, a mellower acidity.⁹¹⁰

Stored lemons (yellow)Summer (please enquire)

Picked in January–February, individually wrapped in freshness-preserving film and kept chilled.¹³

Greenhouse lemons (green)Summer (please enquire)

Grown under cover and shipped in summer, when Japanese lemons are scarce.¹²

In the orchard

Blossom (open field)Mid-May

White blossom, then fruit set.¹⁰

Harvest (open field)Oct–Apr

Harvest of specially cultivated Eco Lemons ends on 30 April.¹⁰¹¹

January

Yellow lemons begin

Tree-ripened fruit turns yellow, with more juice and a mellower acidity. Lemons destined for storage are picked now too.

February

The juicy months

Yellow lemons at their peak. Plenty of juice for sauces, pastry and drinks.

March

Spring yellow

A gentle acidity for spring seafood and vegetables.

April

Harvest draws to a close

Harvest of specially cultivated Eco Lemons ends on 30 April.

May

Blossom

White blossom opens mid-month, as open-field yellow lemons near the end of their sales season.

June

Bridging into summer

Chilled stored lemons and greenhouse fruit carry the supply into summer. Please ask about timing.

July

Summer lemons

Green lemons from the greenhouse and yellow lemons from storage, for the months when Japanese fruit is hard to find.

August

Greenhouse green

Greenhouse-grown green lemons for cold drinks and summer fish.

September

Waiting for autumn

Greenhouse shipping winds down while the open-field fruit swells on the trees.

October

Green lemon season

Open-field picking begins: a bright, green aroma and a clean acidity before the fruit colours. Zest it, squeeze it.

November

Aroma at its height

Green-lemon fragrance for oysters, white fish and autumn cocktails.

December

From green to yellow

The fruit gradually colours; the aroma settles and the juice builds.

Period given in the sourcePeriod that differs between documents

Although harvest ends in April, sales continue into May: harvest and sales follow different calendars.

About colour

Green and yellow are the same lemon.

The difference in colour is not a difference in variety. Open-field lemons flower in mid-May; once the fruit has sized up and filled with juice, picking begins. Harvested at this early stage, they are green lemons. Left on the tree they turn yellow: the aroma settles and the juice increases. As they ripen, the acidity mellows and a little sweetness comes through.

Green and yellow lemons on the same tree — Green and yellow fruit on the same tree.

Green lemon

Open field Oct–Dec; greenhouse in summer

Fresh aroma, clean acidity

For the kitchen: editors' suggestionZest, twists, a final squeeze

Lemon halves on a black mirror surface — Lemons cut in half.

Yellow lemon

Open field Jan–May; stored fruit in summer

Plenty of juice, mellow acidity

For the kitchen: editors' suggestionSauces, dressings, pastry, lemonade

JA Hiroshima recommends green lemons if you want aroma and acidity, and yellow lemons if you want juice.¹⁰

How they reach you

Open field, greenhouse, storage: three ways through the year.

Lemon trees with the Tatara Bridge behind — Beyond the lemon trees, the Tatara Bridge on the Shimanami Kaidō. Setoda.

Open-field lemons

Grown on the island's slopes in sun and sea air. From October's green fruit to spring's yellow, these are the heart of Setoda's crop.⁹¹⁰

Greenhouse lemons

Growing under cover allows green lemons to be shipped in summer, when Japanese lemons are otherwise scarce.¹²

Stored lemons

Lemons picked in January and February are wrapped one by one in freshness-preserving film and kept chilled, not frozen. Specially cultivated Eco Lemons are used.¹³

Talk to us about lemons for your kitchen.

Cooking, drinks, pastry or processing: tell us what you have in mind and when, and we will connect you with the growers' cooperative.

Hiroyoshi Numazaki
J-Catalyst / Higashi Nippon Broadcasting (khb)

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