Do lemons ripen after being picked?

The answer

Not much. Citrus does not ripen much after picking, so what you buy is close to what you will get. Choose fruit that already feels heavy for its size, with fine-grained, slightly glossy skin and no soft spots or mold. A pale green tinge is not a problem, since some lemons are harvested before the skin has fully turned yellow. Thin-skinned lemons tend to be juicier than thick-skinned ones, which have more pith.