Lemons!! So, if you have an established lemon tree, you know there can be a struggle to use all that beautiful fruit. Sometimes, it feels like we have lemons year around (not that this is a total problem…but it’s a LOT of lemon!) This year I have been working to creatively use the lemon…the whole lemon. In the past we have ended up juicing the lemons and tossing the rinds, but that always bothered me. I really don’t like waste. So this year, in addition to the regular juicing (I mean…there’s really only so much lemon juice one needs in the freezer!), I tried a few more recipes. I did not include any baked goods or curd on this list. But they could be easily added! My baked lemon goods will be in a post all of their own. If you try any of these let me know how it goes…or if you have other ideas I would love to hear!

Happy [Forever] Lemon Season!

Juice and Freeze

Okay, this is the obvious one. Juice those lemons and save for a future date. Lemons have a relatively long shelf life, but they will eventually mold. One way to save the lemon for future bakes is to juice and freeze. I recommend freezing in small batches. I made the mistake of freezing a couple of gallon bags one year. The problem is you never need more than 1/4 cup to a 1 cup for a single recipe. If you freeze in a large batch, you have to thaw the entire thing and it is not a good idea to re-freeze once thawed.

Small snack bags, labeled with a sharpie work well. Lay them flat in the freezer initially, then once frozen you can line them up in a container standing to take up less room. I like to freeze various amounts from 1/4 of a cup up to 1 cup.

You can also pour the lemon juice into ice trays. These are great to throw in your water/ water bottle instead of ice for a zero calorie lemon drink. Or, of course pour some sugar in too and now you have quick lemonade!

Lemon Salt

Before you juice your lemons you could peel them, dry the peels and either simply save the dried zest of infuse into salt. We used a dehydrator to dry the peels then quickly blend them in a spice blender. You could also lay the zest out on a sheet pan and dry in your oven at low heat and then crumble or blend. You can save the dried zest alone in a jar to add as flavoring to food/ baked goods. I like to blend some with flaky salt to make lemon salt (makes a great margarita rim or seasoning on roasted veggies).

Lemonade

Another great way to use some lemon is lemonade! A combination of juice, water and sugar…voila! Lemonade. If you want to be fancy, try Lavender Lemonade.

Preserved Lemons

If you want to save and use the whole lemon later, preserved lemons are a great way to go. I used this recipe. We keep a large jar on the counter and a few “flavored” ones with cinnamon sticks and star anise in the fridge. These are a great way to level up any recipe really. My husband is the main cook around here and I see him slicing off a bit regularly into our food.

Candied Lemon Peel

I was looking for a fun holiday gift this year and our lemon tree was in full swing, so I wanted to give the gift of lemon. I was avoiding baked goods as I wanted to give something unique and the problem with the other ideas I had, such as curd or lemonade required refrigeration. And, I was not about to try my first time canning project on a gift…could you imagine if that went wrong?? Ha, nope! This is when I decided to try candied lemon peel. Most recipes I found are for orange peel, but the lemon with the dark chocolate was YUM!

Decorations

Okay, this one is not edible, but I was running out of ideas for my lemon and saw an instagram post for dried oranges around the holidays. I thought they were absolutely adorable. I didn’t have any oranges…but I did have lemons! So I tried it. I think I have a new tradition. Slice the lemon thin, spread on a rack over parchment paper on a baking sheet and bake at 200F for about 10-15 minutes, or until they reach the color you like. String on twine or jute and hang. So cute!