Meet the Chef Who Created True Lemon

"You can say foodservice is in my blood," says True Citrus founder David Schleider.

David's family has been in foodservice for three generations, and David himself spent years training as a professional chef and as the foodservice director and catering manager for several large service operations.

"As a chef I'd often been frustrated with the inconsistency of fresh lemons as well as the fact that they're labor-intensive and involve a lot of waste," said David.

A "why-didn't-anyone-think-of this-before" idea that started in a restaurant

Then, in 2000, David visited a restaurant with his father. As he waited for a fresh bowl of lemon wedges to be brought to the table, he glanced at the sugar caddy. That's when the proverbial light went off. "I wondered why hadn't anyone put the fresh taste of lemon into a convenient packet?"

It took three years from the time David left that restaurant to meet the goal of duplicating authentic, fresh-squeezed lemon taste in a crystallized, shelf-stable form. David was determined to capture the best of the lemon by locking in the oils of the pith and rind as well as the tangy juices.

"When I later developed True Lime, I had to be just as demanding to capture the best of the very volatile lime," said David.

Today, David has added True Orange to his popular True Lemon and True Lemon creations. All three are convenient to use any time, anywhere. From a chef's perspective, David finds the citrus' dry form is more versatile and allows flavor to be added to dishes without unnecessary liquid.

David is thrilled that more and more service operations are discovering True Citrus. "Feedback from chefs, foodservice managers and dietary managers means the world to me so when you use them, please email me and let me know what you think," said David. 

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