‘Fruit used to treat scurvy’ NYT Mini Crossword clue answer and hints

Scurvy is a disease often associated with sailors and pirates, and a fruit type is used to treat those with scurvy. But as there are many fruits the clue “Fruit used to treat scurvy” from today’s NYT Crossword puzzle could apply to, the answer isn’t easy to uncover.

Thankfully, I’ve included hints and the answer to the Sept. 10 NYT Mini Crossword puzzle clue, “Fruit used to treat scurvy,” below.

‘Fruit used to treat scurvy’ NYT Mini Crossword clue Sept. 10 hints and answer

• Hint 1: It starts with an “L.”
• Hint 2: It’s yellow.
• Hint 3: It’s used to make a popular tart drink in the summer.
• Hint 4: It ends in an “N.”

The answer to the “Fruit used to treat scurvy” clue from the Sept. 10 NYT Mini Crossword puzzle is “LEMON.”

Scurvy is a disease that occurs due to a deficiency in Vitamin C. In the past, before anyone knew what Vitamin C was, sailors, pirates, and those suffering from scurvy would drink citrus juice to cure them. Lemons happen to be a very good source of Vitamin C, which is why lemon is the answer to this clue. Personally, I think I’d prefer to drink a glass of orange juice over lemon juice.

All clues and answers from the Sept. 10 NYT Mini Crossword puzzle

Across

• 1A What a phisher might try to get you to click — LINK
• 5A “___Copperhead,” Barbara Kingslover novel that won a 2023 Pulitzer — DEMON
• 6A Act melodramatically — EMOTE
• 7A One just squeaking by? — MOUSE
• 8A Suspicious of — ONTO

Down

• 1D Fruit used to treat scurvy — LEMON
• 2D “Catch ya later!” — IM OUT
• 3D “Quite the contrary!” — NOT SO
• 4D Bending body part — KNEE
• 5D Music submission to a recording studio — DEMO

Is the ‘Fruit used to treat scurvy’ clue difficult to solve?

When I read this clue, I immediately thought of oranges because that’s a common fruit that was used to treat scurvy. However, as we needed a five-letter word, this didn’t fit the bill. So, I had to think about it more diligently, as scurvy was caused by a lack of Vitamin C, so the answer had to be a fruit with lots of it. That’s how I landed on the answer.

But this would have been difficult to answer if you’re unfamiliar with fruits containing Vitamin C or what cures scurvy. So, I’d give it a difficulty rating of four out of five.

Best puzzle and word games to play

Puzzles and word games are a great way to spend your time and get those brain muscles moving. If you’re looking for mini versions to play, try these: LA Times mini crossword puzzle, the Washington Post mini crossword puzzle, Strands (themed word search), or Spelling Bee.