Limone Interdonato Messina

Limone Interdonato Messina is a PGI lemon produced from the Interdonato cultivar — a natural hybrid between a citron clone and a lemon clone — grown along the Ionian coast of the Province of Messina in Sicily. It is distinguished by early ripening, a thin smooth epicarp, low citric acid content, and a juice yield of not less than 25 %.

About this designation

Limone Interdonato Messina received PGI protection on 16 October 2006 under file number PGI-IT-0558 (eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000013637). The designation is reserved exclusively for the Interdonato cultivar, a natural hybrid between a citron clone and a lemon clone. The production area covers nineteen named municipalities in the Province of Messina along the Ionian coast, from Messina to Taormina, including Scaletta Zanclea, Itala, Alì, Alì Terme, Nizza di Sicilia, Roccalumera, Fiumedinisi, Pagliara, Mandanici, Furci Siculo, S. Teresa di Riva, Letojanni, S. Alessio Siculo, Forza D'Agrò, Casalvecchio Siculo, Giardini Naxos, and Savoca. At the point of placing on the market, fruit must weigh between 80 g and 350 g, have a juice yield of not less than 25 %, total acidity of less than 50 g/l, and a minimum of 6,2 °Brix. Commercial categories permitted are Extra and I only. Harvesting runs from 1 September to 15 April and must be carried out by hand using scissors so as not to remove the stem stub. Fruit not marketed immediately may be stored at between 6 and 11 °C at a relative humidity of 75–95 %, and must be packed within 30 days of harvest. Packaging must carry the registered logo and a reference to the Limone Interdonato Messina PGI in characters larger than all other label information. The applicant body is the Consorzio di Tutela Limone Interdonato Messina IGP.

Source: The register document this entry was written from · retrieved August 26, 2026

Distinctive facts

• Registered as a PGI on 16 October 2006 under file number PGI-IT-0558 (eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000013637).
• The specification permits no cultivar other than Interdonato, a natural hybrid between a citron clone and a lemon clone.
• Juice yield must be not less than 25 %, with total acidity less than 50 g/l and a minimum of 6,2 °Brix.
• Harvesting must be carried out by hand using scissors from 1 September to 15 April, and fruit must be packed within 30 days of harvest.

Tasting notes

Sicilian lemon-citron hybrid from Messina coast, Interdonato variety (cross between citron and lemon). Distinctive elongated shape with smooth thin peel, less acidic than standard lemon, very juicy.

HoReCa use

Fresh juice with milder profile, citrus salads, pastry, ricotta desserts.

Packaging

• crate-10kg
• retail-net-bag-2kg

Seasonality