Fruits That Start With L

Looking for fruits that start with L? You’ll find plenty beyond the obvious lemons and limes. Some are everyday supermarket staples, some are seasonal British fruits, and others are tropical treats you may only spot in Asian grocers, world food shops or specialist markets.

This guide covers common and unusual L fruits, what they taste like, how to use them, and how to buy them without wasting money. Handy for alphabet food challenges, school projects, quizzes, themed platters or simply trying something new.

Quick list of fruits that start with L

• Lemon
• Lime
• Lychee
• Longan
• Loquat
• Loganberry
• Lingonberry
• Lulo
• Lucuma
• Lanzones
• Langsat
• Lakoocha
• Limequat
• Lemonade fruit
• Lemon aspen
• Lilly pilly
• Limeberry
• Wood apple, also known by its botanical name Limonia
• Lady apple
• Liberty apple
• Lodi apple
• Lord Lambourne apple
• Le Conte pear
• Langra mango
• Lancetilla mango
• Lamb Hass avocado

Common fruits that start with L

Lemon

Lemons are one of the most useful fruits beginning with L. They are sharp, fragrant and brilliant for making cheap food taste brighter. A squeeze of lemon can lift lentil soup, roast chicken, fish, salad dressings, couscous, pasta and homemade houmous.

Money-saving tip: If a recipe only needs lemon juice, bottled lemon juice can be cheaper, but fresh lemons give better zest and flavour. Before juicing, zest the lemon and freeze the zest in a small tub. It is lovely in cakes, marinades and breadcrumbs.

Lime

Limes are small green citrus fruits with a sharper, slightly floral flavour. They are common in Mexican, Thai, Indian and Caribbean-style cooking. Use them in guacamole, curries, noodle dishes, salsa, marinades, mocktails and desserts.

Limes are not simply unripe lemons. They are their own citrus fruit and often have a more aromatic flavour. In the UK, loose limes can be better value than multipacks if you only need one or two.

Lychee

Lychees have a rough pink-red shell, white juicy flesh and a large stone in the middle. Their flavour is sweet, floral and very fragrant. Fresh lychees are often sold in summer, though tinned lychees in syrup are available year-round in many supermarkets and Asian food shops.

Peel lychees with your fingers, remove the stone and eat the flesh chilled. They work well in fruit salads, jellies, sorbets and desserts with coconut or mango.

Longan

Longan is closely related to lychee. The fruit is smaller, with a thin brown shell and translucent flesh. It tastes sweet and musky, often a little less floral than lychee.

You may find fresh longan in Chinese, Thai or Vietnamese supermarkets. Tinned longan is useful for puddings and drinks. As with lychee, the stone is not eaten.

Loganberry

Loganberries are a cross between a raspberry and a blackberry. They are deep red, tangy and juicy, with a lovely balance of sweetness and acidity. They are not as common in supermarkets as raspberries, but you may find them at farm shops, pick-your-own farms or in frozen mixes.

Use loganberries in crumbles, jams, compotes, summer puddings and yoghurt bowls. If you spot them reduced because they are soft, cook them the same day into a quick sauce for pancakes or porridge.

Lingonberry

Lingonberries are small red berries with a tart flavour. They are popular in Scandinavian cooking and are often served as a jam or preserve with savoury dishes. In the UK, you are more likely to find lingonberry jam than fresh berries.

Lingonberry sauce is good with meatballs, roast meats, nut roasts, cheese, porridge and pancakes. It can be a useful alternative to cranberry sauce.

Loquat

Loquats are small orange-yellow fruits with soft, juicy flesh and large glossy seeds. Their flavour sits somewhere between apricot, peach and citrus, depending on ripeness.

Fresh loquats are not a standard UK supermarket fruit, but they sometimes appear in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern food shops. They bruise easily, so buy only what you can use quickly.

Unusual L fruits worth knowing

Lulo

Lulo, also called naranjilla in some places, is a bright orange fruit with greenish, tangy pulp. It is native to parts of South America and is commonly used for juice, smoothies and desserts.

Fresh lulo is rare in the UK, but frozen pulp may be available from Latin American food suppliers. It has a citrusy, tropical flavour and can be blended with water or milk for a refreshing drink.

Lucuma

Lucuma is a South American fruit with yellow-orange flesh and a flavour often described as sweet, creamy and slightly caramel-like. Fresh lucuma is not easy to find in the UK, but lucuma powder is sold in some health food shops.

The powder is usually used in smoothies, porridge, yoghurt, ice cream and baking. It is not a like-for-like replacement for sugar, but it can add flavour and gentle sweetness.

Lanzones

Lanzones are small tropical fruits with pale brown skin and segmented translucent flesh. The flavour is sweet, juicy and lightly tangy. They are grown in parts of Southeast Asia and may appear in specialist grocers.

The segments can contain bitter seeds, so eat carefully. Choose fruit that feels slightly firm rather than shrivelled.

Langsat

Langsat is very similar to lanzones, and the names are sometimes used for related fruits. It has a thin skin and juicy segments, with a sweet-tart flavour.

If buying langsat in the UK, specialist Asian food shops are your best bet. It is often sold in small bunches. As it is a delicate imported fruit, check for mould, split skins or fermentation smells before buying.

Lakoocha

Lakoocha, sometimes called monkey jack, is a tropical fruit from South and Southeast Asia. It is not common in UK shops, but it belongs on a comprehensive list of fruits that start with L.

The fruit is typically tangy and is used in pickles, chutneys, curries and drinks in areas where it grows. You are more likely to come across it as a preserved product than as fresh fruit.

Limequat

A limequat is a citrus hybrid made from lime and kumquat. It is small, oval and usually yellow-green when ripe. The skin can be eaten, and the flavour is sharp, aromatic and citrusy.

Limequats are useful in marmalade, cocktails, garnishes and citrus sauces. They are not common, but specialist greengrocers sometimes stock them during citrus season.

Lemonade fruit

Lemonade fruit is a sweet citrus fruit that looks a little like a lemon but tastes much milder. It is popular in Australia and New Zealand and occasionally appears through specialist fruit sellers.

It can be eaten fresh or juiced. The flavour is gentle and refreshing, so it suits people who find lemons too sharp.

Lemon aspen

Lemon aspen is an Australian rainforest fruit with a strong lemony flavour. It is usually used in sauces, preserves, dressings and desserts rather than eaten like an apple.

In the UK, lemon aspen is rare and more likely to be found in specialist products than in the fresh fruit aisle.

Lilly pilly

Lilly pilly is another Australian fruit, often pink, red or purple, depending on the variety. It has a crisp texture and tart flavour and is commonly used in jams, sauces and cordials.

It is not a budget everyday fruit in the UK, but it is an interesting L fruit for alphabet food lists.

Limeberry

Limeberry is a small tropical fruit with a tart, citrus-like flavour. It is not widely sold in Britain, but it is edible and sometimes used in preserves or as a souring ingredient.

As with many lesser-known fruits, availability depends heavily on specialist suppliers and season.

Wood apple, or Limonia

Wood apple is often linked to the botanical name Limonia acidissima, which makes it relevant for L fruit lists. It has a hard shell and aromatic, brownish pulp that can be sweet, sour and earthy.

It is used in drinks, chutneys and desserts in South Asian cooking. In the UK, look for it in Indian or Sri Lankan shops, sometimes as fresh fruit, pulp or concentrate.

Apple, pear, mango and avocado varieties starting with L

Some fruit names beginning with L are varieties rather than completely separate fruits. They are still useful if you are doing an alphabet challenge or looking for fruit names that start with L.

Best L fruits for UK shoppers on a budget

Some L fruits are easy to buy cheaply in the UK, while others are occasional treats. For everyday cooking, these are the most practical choices.

• Lemons: Great value because you can use the zest, juice and slices. Freeze spare juice in ice cube trays.
• Limes: Buy loose if you only need one. Roll before juicing to get more liquid out.
• Tinned lychees: Often cheaper and more reliable than fresh lychees, especially outside their short season.
• Lingonberry jam: A jar lasts well and works with sweet and savoury meals.
• Frozen loganberries or mixed berries: Good for crumbles, sauces and smoothies with less waste than fresh berries.

How to store fruits beginning with L

Good storage helps you get the best value from fruit, especially if you buy reduced items.

• Lemons and limes: Keep them in the fridge to help them last longer. Cut citrus should be covered and refrigerated.
• Lychees and longan: Store fresh fruit in the fridge and eat within a few days. Peel only when ready to eat.
• Soft berries such as loganberries: Keep chilled, handle gently and wash just before eating. Discard berries that are mouldy.
• Loquats: Store at room temperature if they need ripening, then move to the fridge and use quickly.
• Tinned fruits: Once opened, transfer leftovers to a covered container, refrigerate and use within a couple of days.

Easy ways to use L fruits

If you have lemons, limes or less common L fruits to use up, try these simple ideas.

• Make a lemon and herb dressing with oil, mustard, salt and pepper.
• Add lime juice to chilli, curry or lentil dhal just before serving.
• Stir lychees or longan into fruit salad with pineapple and orange.
• Cook loganberries with a little sugar to make a quick compote.
• Serve lingonberry jam with cheese on toast, meatballs or a veggie roast.
• Blend frozen lulo pulp into smoothies or homemade ice lollies.
• Use lemon zest in breadcrumbs for topping pasta bakes or gratins.
• Make citrus water with leftover lemon and lime slices before they dry out.

Best fruits that start with L for children

For children learning alphabet foods, the easiest L fruits to recognise are lemon, lime, lychee and loganberry. Lemons and limes are very sour on their own, so they are better used in drinks, cakes or dressings rather than served in wedges for snacking.

Lychees can be fun because of the peel-and-eat element, but always remove the stone before serving to younger children. Soft fruits such as loganberries can be messy, but they are excellent in yoghurt, porridge or crumbles.

Which L fruits are easiest to find in the UK?

The easiest fruits that start with L to find in UK supermarkets are lemons and limes. Lychees are often available fresh at certain times of year and tinned all year round. Lingonberry jam is sold by some supermarkets and Scandinavian-style shops. Loganberries are more seasonal and are easier to find through farm shops, pick-your-own farms or frozen berry mixes.

For longan, langsat, lanzones, lulo or wood apple, try specialist Asian, Latin American, Indian or international food shops. Availability can vary a lot, so it is worth asking staff when deliveries arrive.

FAQs about fruits that start with L

What is the most common fruit that starts with L?

Lemon is probably the most common fruit that starts with L in the UK, followed closely by lime. Both are easy to find, affordable and useful in sweet and savoury cooking.

Is lime a fruit?

Yes, lime is a fruit. It is a citrus fruit, just like lemon, orange and grapefruit.

Is lychee a fruit that starts with L?

Yes, lychee is a fruit that starts with L. It has a rough outer shell, juicy white flesh and a smooth stone in the centre.

Are there any British fruits that start with L?

Loganberries can be grown in the UK, and Lord Lambourne is a British apple variety. Lemons and limes are widely sold here, but they are usually imported because they need warmer growing conditions.

What fruit starting with L is best for baking?

Lemons are excellent for baking because the zest and juice add strong flavour. Loganberries are also lovely in crumbles, pies, muffins and traybakes.

What is a tropical fruit that starts with L?

Lychee, longan, lulo, lucuma, lanzones, langsat and lakoocha are all tropical or subtropical fruits that start with L.

Can I freeze lemons and limes?

Yes. You can freeze lemon or lime juice in ice cube trays, freeze zest in a small container, or freeze slices for drinks. Whole citrus can be frozen too, though the texture will soften, so it is best used for juice or cooking afterwards.

What is the cheapest fruit that starts with L?

In most UK shops, lemons and limes are the cheapest and easiest L fruits to buy. Prices vary, so compare loose fruit with multipacks and only buy larger bags if you will use them.