{"id":1457,"date":"2026-06-16T12:45:31","date_gmt":"2026-06-16T10:45:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/giancarlopolenghi.it\/?p=1457"},"modified":"2026-06-16T16:12:15","modified_gmt":"2026-06-16T14:12:15","slug":"polenghi-lemon-juice-production","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/giancarlopolenghi.it\/en\/polenghi-lemon-juice-production\/","title":{"rendered":"From lemon to juice: every stage of production by Giancarlo Polenghi"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

For 50 years<\/strong>, Polenghi has been bringing the authentic taste of lemon to the table, transforming a fruit that symbolises Italian tradition into a practical, safe and ready-to-use product.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lemon juice is found in 97.8% of Italian kitchens and 7 out of 10 Italians associate it with Italy<\/strong>: an everyday, familiar ingredient capable of adding freshness and character to any dish. Since 1976<\/strong>, Polenghi has been honouring this passion through a supply chain that combines raw material selection, production expertise, quality control and a focus on sustainability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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50 years of expertise: Polenghi\u2019s identity in lemon processing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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In 2026, Polenghi will celebrate 50 years in business<\/strong>: half a century of experience in lemon processing and the production of lemon juice for the Italian and international markets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


A story that began in Colturano<\/strong>, Lombardy<\/strong>, thanks to Giancarlo Polenghi\u2019s vision<\/strong>: to make lemon juice available in practical packs, designed to bring freshness, flavour and ease of use to the kitchen<\/strong>. Since then, the company has grown to become a leading name in lemon juice production, maintaining a strong connection with the raw material and with the Italian citrus-growing tradition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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From Colturano to San Rocco al Porto: the milestones of a truly Italian story<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Every bottle of Polenghi lemon juice is the result of 50 years of experience, dedication and passion for the raw ingredient<\/a>. The company\u2019s history began in 1976, when Giancarlo Polenghi had the idea of producing and marketing lemon juice in plastic and glass bottles, using citrus fruits selected from the Conca d\u2019Oro area of Palermo.<\/strong> Within a few years, the product had conquered the Italian market and was beginning to make a name for itself across Europe. In the 1980s, Polenghi expanded its presence abroad, reaching the United States <\/strong>and the Middle East<\/strong>, and in 1983 moved production to San Rocco al Porto, where the factory gradually became the company\u2019s manufacturing hub.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Growth continued with the diversification of the product range<\/strong>: from juices to condiments, from flavoured oils to lemon and citrus sorbets. In recent years, Polenghi has continued to innovate with products such as Spinagallo, Acti Lemon and ReaLemon, confirming an international reputation recognised worldwide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The raw material: from Sicilian lemon groves to fruit selection<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The lemons used by Polenghi are carefully selected and grown in areas where the climate, soil and agricultural expertise all contribute to the quality of the fruit.
One of the most representative supply chains is that linked to the Spinagallo Estate in Syracuse, where Polenghi Spinagallo organic juice<\/strong> is produced. Here, the Femminello Siracusano variety grows in a microclimate favoured by sea and volcanic winds<\/strong>, in an area renowned for the quality of its citrus fruits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Femminello Siracusano PGI: the lemon chosen by Polenghi<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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The Femminello Siracusano PGI<\/a> is one of Italy\u2019s finest citrus fruits <\/strong>and serves as the key ingredient in Polenghi lemon juice. Grown in the Syracuse area, it is one of Italy\u2019s Protected Geographical Indication (PGI)<\/strong> lemons and is distinguished by its rich juice, the quality of its essential oils and the plant\u2019s exceptional fertility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The name \u201cFemminello<\/em>\u201d evokes precisely this characteristic: a generous plant, capable of flowering several times a year and producing fruit with an intense and distinctive aromatic profile. Its roots are ancient and trace a journey from the Middle East to the Mediterranean, where the lemon found ideal conditions to thrive and become one of the symbols of Sicilian agricultural tradition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What makes the Siracusan Femminello so valuable to Polenghi is the balance between peel, juice and essential oils<\/strong>. The high-quality peel and the fragrant, generous juice make it suitable for various uses in the food industry: ice cream, sweets, baked goods, drinks and, of course, Giancarlo Polenghi lemon juice<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Hand-picking and selection: the first stage of quality control<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Right from the lemon grove, long before pressing<\/a>: care for the fruit begins at the tree, with constant attention paid to the development of the blossoms and unripe lemons, so as to monitor every stage of growth and identify the best time for harvesting.
Every lemon is picked by hand<\/strong>: a process that requires experience, professionalism and a thorough understanding of the raw material<\/strong>. Hand-picking allows the fruit to be selected with greater care, assessing its appearance, ripeness and quality, so that only the most suitable lemons are sent for juicing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Once harvested, the fruit is taken to specialist citrus juicing facilities. Here, it enters a delicate production phase designed to preserve the freshness and natural characteristics of the lemon: within 24 hours of harvesting<\/strong>, the lemons are juiced and the juice is then sent to the Polenghi factories for the subsequent stages of quality control, processing and packaging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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How Polenghi lemon juice is made: cold pressing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The production of Polenghi juice is part of an integrated supply chain, in which every stage helps to preserve the natural quality of the lemon: from growing the fruit to harvesting, and on to pressing and packaging. The aim is to transform a simple, natural ingredient into an authentic juice<\/strong>, whilst keeping the lemon\u2019s purity and original characteristics intact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cold pressing <\/strong>meets this requirement perfectly, as it allows the fruit to be processed with care, preserving its aroma and quality<\/strong>, and producing a juice that is true to the raw material from which it is made.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The extraction method: gentle cutting and pressing to preserve freshness and flavour<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Vilfredo Raymo, General Manager of Simone Gatto<\/a>\u2014a company specialising in citrus fruit pressing and part of the Polenghi supply chain\u2014provides a more detailed account of the extraction method.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The technique used is characterised by a gentle approach applied on an industrial scale, very similar to the domestic act of squeezing a lemon by hand. The fruit is first cut in half and then pressed through rotating rollers<\/strong>, similar in shape to a traditional citrus juicer. This allows the juice to be extracted without subjecting it to high pressure or excessive speed<\/strong>, preserving the lemon\u2019s freshness, aroma and organoleptic characteristics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is precisely this gentle squeezing that contributes to the quality of Polenghi juice: a controlled industrial process that respects the natural qualities of the raw material and yields a product with an authentic taste, close to that of a freshly squeezed lemon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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From raw juice to the bottle: transport, storage and bottling<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

After pressing, the lemon juice is transferred from the press in Sicily to the Polenghi plant in San Rocco al Porto. From here, the production process continues, taking the juice through to the final packaging stage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are the stages in detail:<\/p>\n\n\n\n