Use it up · Fruits

Lemons

Have extra lemons? Here’s how to choose, store and prep lemons, plus 29 family recipes to use it all up, best matches first.

🍽 See the recipes 🧺 Pick a few things you have

🛒 Choosing it

Choose heavy lemons with thin, smooth skin; they're juicier.

Best season: Winter, but sold all year. Timing varies by region.

🧊 Storing it

Fridge: 2 to 8 weeks
Freezer: 3 to 4 months (juice in ice cube trays)

Keep the fridge at 40°F or below and the freezer at 0°F. Freezer times are for best quality; food kept frozen at 0°F stays safe. When in doubt, throw it out. Times from Rutgers Cooperative Extension.

🔪 Prepping it

Roll on the counter before squeezing to get more juice. Zest only the yellow part.

🥣 Make it from scratch

Homemade staples that use lemons:

Fresh ricotta-style cheese Mayonnaise Buttermilk stand-in

🌱 Grow it

You can grow your own: citrus. The Food Garden Planner shows how much to plant for your family and when it comes in.

🌱 Plan a garden with it →

📊 Nutrition per 100 g

Lemon. 100 g is about 3 1/2 ounces.

Calories	29 kcal	1%
Protein	1.1 g	2%
Total fat	0.3 g	0%
Saturated fat	0.0 g	0%
Total carbohydrate	9.3 g	3%
Dietary fiber	2.8 g	10%
Total sugars	2.5 g
Sodium	2.0 mg	0%
Calcium	26 mg	2%
Iron	0.6 mg	3%
Potassium	138 mg	3%

% Daily Value for adults (FDA). From USDA FoodData Central 167746 (SR Legacy).

🍽 Recipes that use it up

29 recipes, the ones that use the most lemons first.

With a smaller amount

Plan them into your week in the meal planner, or find recipes for two or three things at once with the “What can I make?” picker.

Storage times and buying tips are general guides from the sources below; follow any date or instructions on the package. Cook meat, poultry, fish and eggs to the USDA safe temperatures in each recipe.