Citrus blossoms don't really smell like lemon peel at all, to my nose.

I'm sure they probably used parts of the citrus to make their essential oil, -- probably from the peel, so in that sense, it's still from the lemon plant. Lemon peel is cheap and readily available 365 days a year I would think, compared to 'harvesting' fragrance from the flower.

Yeah, they dont smell like lemon peel but they do smell really really good!

If You really like the smell and it is inexpensive then I would think if it were fake it would not mater. If you are paying sa high price for the authentic product and it is fake then you have an issue. If however that high price stuff is fake but you love it then you need to fine the source of the fake stuff and buy it there there for the price it should go for.

"Yeah, they dont smell like lemon peel but they do smell really really good!"

Can you provide any points of reference?

For example, if I asked, "What do orange blossoms smell like?" and you replied, "Orange blossoms smell similar to a mixture of linalyl acetate and methyl anthranilate.", I would be satisfied with that answer because linalyl acetate and methyl anthanilate are familiar points of reference for me.

smells sorta like gardenia flowers, to me anyway.

Thanks. I decided that my essential oil is a bad fake.

How did you determine that it's fake?

"How did you determine that it's fake?"

Because the odor of my essential oil is very different than what the above posters report the odor of lemon blossoms to be.

All citrus blossoms smell basically the same, very pungent and sweet. Some citrus cultivars will have a more powerful fragrance than other citrus cultivars (for example, 'Bouquet de Fluers' sour orange has a very powerful fragrance). Your essential oil is made from the lemon oil in the peel. I wouldn't say it's necessarily a fake, as it would certainly be made from the oil of the peel of a lemon, not from the flower. Same for Bergomot - made from the oil in the peel of the Bergomot sour orange.

Patty S.

"All citrus blossoms smell basically the same"

I know for a fact that all citrus blossoms do not smell the same because I know that the chemical compositions of two essential oils, orange blossom and grapefruit blossom, are very different. If you want, I can look up the chemical analyses and pontificate on how different they are to you. Unfortunately, I do not know the chemical analysis of lemon blossom oil and that is why I wanted to know what lemon blossoms smell like.

"I wouldn't say it's necessarily a fake, as it would certainly be made from the oil of the peel of a lemon, not from the flower. "

Someone who sells lemon peel oil as "lemon blossom oil" is illegally committing fraud.

They do smell a little different, but not a whole lot different. They smell more like each other than not. At least to the human nose. Those chemical differences may smell different to other creatures, but most humans experience citrus varieties blossom's as smelling very similar to each other.

I've never seen "lemon blossom oil" sold here, only the oil from the peel. I have heard of it being used in the perfume industry, but never seen it for sale at a retail level. Not saying it isn't ever, I've just never seen it.

I suppose that you are right. I reviewed the literature and found that the main chemical differences between orange blossom and grapefruit blossom oils are that the former contains linalyl acetate (11%) but no sabinene and the latter contains sabinene (21%) but no linalyl acetate. The odor of linalyl acetate is described as "sweet green citrus bergamot lavender woody" and the odor of sabinene is described as "Woody, spicy, citrus and terpy with green, oily and camphoreous nuances".

Have any of you noticed a grape-like note in the odor of lemon blossoms?

I have before; my Meyer sometimes smells like grape Pez.

-Tom

Aruzinsky, I have about 100-120 citrus trees on my property, about 80 different cultivars :-) What Barb said is true. Very little difference. Some are more pungent than others, such as grapefruits and pummelos, and the very lovely Bouquet de Fleurs sour orange. And no, can't say my lemon blossoms ever smelled like grapes or had a grape-like note, at least, not that I've ever noticed. I'll have to go out and check and see, as I have my lovely Santa Teresa Femminello in bloom right now and let you know. And, does it really make a difference if the essential oil is from the oil in the peel (where citrus really the highest concentration of oils, and what give them their specific cultivar smell), or the blossom? I'll let you know how my Santa Teresa blossoms smell.

Patty S.

hoosierquilt, if I were you, I would make different kinds of citrus blossom waters to flavor pastries. Orange blossom water is a traditional flavoring used in Middle Eastern Pastries. See http://www.food.com/recipe/exotic-orange-blossom-water-and-rose-water-make-your-own-414575 . I especially like orange blossom flavoring in the Greek cookie, Kourabiedes. I would study the culinary effects of different kinds of citrus blossoms.

How can one actually describe a 'smell'? You can only compare to known smells in one's shared experiences. For example, I think Osmanthus fragrans smells like Kellogg's Fruit Loops. But if you don't know what Fruit Loops smell like, then I can't explain it.

OP, if your fragrance smells good to you then you should be happy. If you are worried about it being 'fake', but don't know what it 'should' smell like, then what difference does it make?

"OP, if your fragrance smells good to you then you should be happy. "

That's ridiculous. The fake smells like lemon peel oil of which I already have more than I need therefore whether or not the fake smells good to me is irrelevant. Second, I bought it to find out what lemon blossom oil smells like. I have every right to buy it for just that purpose. But, the seller lied to me. In case you don't know it, lying is immoral. And, I am very unhappy about being a victim of the seller's immorality. I will not do business with them again.

Freshly cut lemon does not smell the same as the blossoms, though they both smell very good and are somewhat similar. Lemon blossoms have a much sweeter fragrance.

Lemon blossoms and orange blossoms do not smell the same. I think I prefer orange blossoms over lemon blossoms, but I like the smell of freshly cut lemon even more, just to give you some idea that they are somewhat different. They all smell "citrusy", but are slightly different. The smell of grapefruit blossoms is intoxicating, but in one way kind of annoying too if there is a constant fragrance in the air, because it has the type of smell that is difficult to ignore (though it is a good smell).

But, the seller lied to me. In case you don't know it, lying is immoral.

Well, we're in a fallen world and unfortunately people lie all the time. Either they have no morals, or they just don't care -- anything it takes to make the sale. There are many unscrupulous sellers out there. I would make sure to investigate any potential sellers before making an expensive purchase.

Here's a thought. Why not buy a citrus plant --- maybe a lemon, and then you can smell the flowers. Then you can try to describe to us what it smells like.

By the way, 'linalyl acetate and methyl anthranilate' -- are you kidding me? Who on this whole forum has a clue (unless they are chemists) what those smell like?

"I would make sure to investigate any potential sellers before making an expensive purchase."

The quantity that I purchased was sufficiently small to make it inexpensive, less expensive than a blooming lemon tree.

"By the way, 'linalyl acetate and methyl anthranilate' -- are you kidding me? Who on this whole forum has a clue (unless they are chemists) what those smell like?"

Perfumers. Perfumery is becoming an increasingly popular hobby. Besides, I don't take surveys on the kinds of ignorance that people harbor.

citrus flowers usually smells like jasmine.

Definitely closest comparison for orange blossoms for me is Jasmine flowers. I own both and it's the closest.

Ive always found citrus blossoms to smell distinctly like the fruit they produce.

Yes, that's true, citrus blossoms smell distinctly similar to the fruit they produce. Even if you have never smelled orange blossoms before, you can usually tell by their smell they are from an orange tree, not a lemon (assuming you have tasted an orange before). But in another way, all the citrus blossoms smell more similar to each other than they do to their respective fruits.

Oh I can tell you exactly what lemon blossoms smell like. You see it is like this.......

See?

You know what I mean? Aruzinsky.

I bet you're a real hit at parties, Aruzinsky.

Theres really not a good way for anyone to tell you EXACTLY what a lemon blossom smells like, simply because we all smell things a little differently (The Missense of smell: functional variability in the human odorant receptor repertoire, et al. Nature Neuroscience Early Online Dec 8, 2013). Depending on which receptors are activated and how one's brain processes that information, there can be dozens of opinions on what they smell like (with very few similarities between folks). Hell, I have a Chemisty degree and can't tell you what most aromatics smell like due to receptor damage- not all benzene rings register the same to everyone.

Your real question should've been "did I get hosed" and a quick google search will usually tell you if a dealer is reputable based on reviews from others who've purchased. You could also contact the manufacture and ask exactly what part of the plant they're using. Chances are good if you go to a perfume forum or a soap-making forum (you know, the folks actually using these essential oils) you'd have better luck finding an answer to your question.

Neroli is the essential oil that most smells like blossoms to me. Check it out! It can be a bit cloying but so can the real thing when the blossoms are strong.

Lemon tree very pretty, and the lemon flower is sweet, but the fruit of the poor lemon is impossible to eat.

Yes, if you don't actually have a lemon tree to smell, neroli will be the next best thing to give you some idea of what citrus blossoms smell like.

In general, the fragrance of the blossoms resemble the respective fruit, in a way, but are also sweet. That is, the smell of lemon blossoms resembles lemon but it also resembles the smell of citrus blossoms in general.

Debra C.....My thoughts exactly! ;)

I know this is an OLD thread, but having just removed my first meyer's fruit (day after petals fell)...I thought I could comment.

Lemon flowers smell floral...hee, no better way to describe them, they don't really smell citrusy at all to me, but sweet never the less. Even the day old meyers fruitlet smelt intensely of lemon though when crushed.

I would imagine the smell would be similar to Gardenia flowers.

Well having a gardenia open at the same time as the lemon blossoms..I disagree.

My lemon tree is blooming right now. The blossoms smell like fresh lilacs to me.

Essential oils of blossoms are not always going to smell like the real fresh flower, and sometimes it can be better and more practical to get artificial blossom fragrance, although that of course depends on what the flower is, and the quality of the artificial fragrance.

Citral, a tiny hint of some type of ionone, and neryl acetate, would be used to simulate the smell of lemon blossom. Maybe with a little calendula added (which naturally contains germacrene). There's also a product called rhodinol, which is isolated from natural pelargonium, which is a specific form (stereoisomer) of citronellol, which is lemony and reminiscent of wildflowers, sharp and astringent, probably would also be good added in there for realism.