What to Do With Lemons

In This Article

There are a lot of ways you might end up with a lot of lemons and maybe you didn't have a specific use in mind for them. Obviously, you can make lemonade, which is always refreshing and delicious. But there are plenty of other ways to put your surplus of lemons to good use. We'll talk about some savory dishes, sweet desserts ad baked treats, lemonades and cocktails, as well as how to preserve lemons, along with a few non-culinary uses for this fragrant citrus fruit.

Cook With Lemons

Lemons are a staple of the culinary arts, and with good reason. Their tart acidity pairs well with poultry, fish and seafood, as well as all sorts of vegetables. Here are a few savory dishes you can prepare using fresh lemons.

Bake With Lemons

Lemon desserts are another classic category, as their citrusy tartness combines with sugary sweetness to make culinary magic. Here are a handful of sweet desserts you can make with your leftover lemons.

Drink the Lemons

And of course, when it comes to using lemons, you can always drink them. Here's a few recipes for lemonade, lemon-based cocktails and more refreshing beverages.

Preserve Lemons

If you don't want to use your lemons now, you can preserve them to use later. For the most part, this means freezing them, but there are other ways you can preserve fresh lemons, such as making lemon curd, for example, or preserving just the peels. You can also juice the lemons, then freeze the juice, either in a container, or in ice-cube trays, which makes it easy to add a dollop of lemon to whatever dish you're preparing. You can also slice the lemons, then freeze the slices on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.