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We've got a lemon tree and an overabundance of lemons at the moment. Aside from lemonade, what should I do with them?

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  • You can ask your friends if they want any lemons. Each one might not want many, but a bunch of friends taking one or two will take care of someone of them. You could also ask co-workers if they want any. Dec 12, 2010 at 1:50
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    So life gave you lemons, lots of lemons? ;-) Dec 12, 2010 at 16:06
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    Wot no Lemonade recipe ...?
    – immutabl
    Feb 16, 2011 at 17:12

9 Answers 9

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Well there are a myriad of nice lemon recipes of course. A decent lemon drizzle cake usually goes down well.

However, if you really have a glut, consider making a batch or two of lemon curd, or even preserving/pickling them like the North Africans do.

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    Seconding the lemon curd. It uses a lot of lemon, tastes great and keeps well. Dec 12, 2010 at 3:02
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    ... and you can give the lemon curd away as gifts for the holidays, getting rid of even more.
    – Joe
    Dec 12, 2010 at 13:32
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    Preserved lemons are delicious. If you haven't tried them, check out a Moroccan cookbook for some uses. Dec 12, 2010 at 16:03
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    +1 preserved lemons. They are awesome. If you use a salt / sugar mixture (a lot of recipes are just salt), then you can use it in breads / cakes as well. We use it instead of zest regularly, which gives a much rounder flavor that integrates better in to a dish, IMHO.
    – yossarian
    Dec 13, 2010 at 13:52
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    +1 for lemon curd. I love getting it as a gift, and I'm sure other people are the same.
    – Taeraresh
    Dec 14, 2010 at 5:50
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I would cook a lot of lemon recipes, make salad dressing, and juice the rest of the lemons and freeze the juice in ice cube trays, then onto freezer bags after they are set. If you are close to Seattle, WA I'll come over and pick a bushel or two. :)

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I'd be most likely to go with Orbling's suggestion for lemon curd to use it up in large batches, but some other items that might be useful, depending on what cuisines you typically cook:

Candying it works too, but I had way too much candied citron as a kid, so refuse to suggest that as a solution, as I can't stand the stuff.

... also, after juicing lemons, toss a peel down the garbage disposal (if you have one) -- it's like a toothbrush, scraping things free and deodorizes, too.

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Try making candied lemon slices or peel. You can use any regular candied orange peel/slice recipe. Since you probably want to use the whole lemon, check these out:

http://userealbutter.com/2009/09/10/candied-lemon-slices-recipe/ http://www.browniepointsblog.com/2009/01/12/recipe-the-best-candied-orange-slices-in-the-world/ <-- takes two weeks (I'm trying it now)

If you have extra peels:

http://userealbutter.com/2007/10/09/candied-orange-peels-recipe/

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Put some of them in the freezer for later!

I think it works really great. It allows you to have a summer cocktail in.. autumn! or winter! or spring! And you don't need to rush to the supermarket. I also have a stack of limes always ready. You know: mojito and all..

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Lemon pickle is popular in India. This Sweet Lemon Pickle recipe here tells you how to prepare it in just 15 minutes.

You could try it with a small batch first to see if you like it.

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Homemade lemon bars are always a hit with my family. If you are a big pie fan, there is always lemon meringue pie.

Lemon butter is always good paired with seafood. I am not sure how well it keeps since I have never personally made it, but thought I would give the suggestion.

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  • Lemon Meringue pie is delicious and good for the holiday season. As for lemon butter - a good suggestion and you can always freeze it.
    – NBenatar
    Dec 13, 2010 at 8:57
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  • Salad dressing (especially Caesar)
  • Iced tea
  • Marinades
  • Sauces, especially tomato sauces
  • Sautéed veggies
  • Stir fries

(you can use lemon in pretty much anything that needs a bit of oomph).

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I agree with Izzydorio. Use ice trays to freeze it into cubes. You can then dump the cubes into freezer bags for longer storage. When you need some lemon juice, you can pull out a few cubes. I have done this for making ice tea. A few cubes in a pitcher and it mixes in on its own. Need lemonade, its even better.

I have even seen it used for making a punch base. Add a few cups of sugar to about a 1 quart container and freeze. You can make the punch using something like Sprite, or even better Champagne. :-)

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