We’re at the peak of citrus season here in Florida, which means lemons, oranges, limes, and other citrus fruits are in abundance.
If you’re fortunate enough to nurture a citrus tree — or have a friend or neighbor who does — you know that when they bear fruit, it’s never just a little. Don’t waste that Vitamin C-packed goodness; there are countless interesting and useful ways to easily add citrus to your routine.
Confession: I love anything lemon. But these sunny and simple recipes can be made with any of your favorite citrus fruits, and they’re a fun way to get your kids to join you in the kitchen. (Bonus: Measuring counts as math practice!)
Thinking-of-Spring Lemon & Berry Muffins
Makes 12 muffins
Packed with tangy lemon flavor, these fruit-filled muffins are an optimistic take on your basic breakfast muffin. They’ll have you thinking of spring even on the dreariest winter morning!
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1 TB baking powder
½ tsp salt
Zest of one lemon
2 eggs, room temperature
½ cup butter, softened (dairy free option: ½ cup of coconut cream or vegetable shortening)
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 TB honey
¾ cup fresh lemon juice, at room temperature
¼ cup (any type) of milk, at room temperature
1 TB vanilla extract
½ cup blueberries, rinsed and dried (fresh or frozen)
½ cup diced strawberries, rinsed and dried (fresh or frozen)
Sanding sugar or clear sugar sprinkles (optional)
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare muffin pan with silicone or paper liners.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a large bowl.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the milk, butter, lemon zest, honey, and eggs until well combined.
- Add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture slowly, stirring gently to incorporate.
- Whisk the lemon juice into the batter until smooth. Do not over-mix.
- Gently fold in the strawberries and blueberries.
- Fill 2/3 of each muffin cup with batter. Do not overfill.
- Sprinkle with sanding sugar (optional). Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the crowns rise and are firm to the touch.
- Transfer to a wire cooling rack. Serve warm or on-the-go for up to four days in a sealed container.
Tip: Room temperature ingredients result in a smoother batter and a lighter and fluffier muffin. Following the steps in order makes a big difference in your muffin’s consistency.
Super Simple Lemonade
Serves 8
Stirring up your own lemonade is nearly effortless. Yet the results are instantly rewarding, making it a fun activity for even the most impatient of little helpers.
Ingredients:
4-5 cups filtered water, divided
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup fresh lemon juice (4-6 lemons)
Ice
Fancy glasses or silly paper straws, just for fun (optional)
Directions:
- Make a simple syrup: In a medium saucepan, add one cup of granulated sugar to one cup of filtered water.
- Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Simmer while stirring for 1 minute.
- Remove from heat and allow the simple syrup to cool at room temperature.
- While cooling, juice 4-6 lemons and strain out the pulp.
- Pour cooled simple syrup into a carafe or large jug. Add strained lemon juice and stir.
- Add 3-4 cups of cold water and ice, to taste. Enjoy sunshine in a cup!
Tip: It’s not cliché to make lemonade out of lemons. It’s actually practical and delicious.
Bright & Tasty Lemon Vinaigrette
Yields 1.5 cups
Perfect for a quick midweek meal, this lemon recipe can be thrown together quickly with ingredients you might already have in your pantry. It serves as a flavorful light dressing for salads, and a vibrant marinade for chicken, seafood, and fresh veggies that won’t overwhelm finicky palates.
Ingredients:
Zest of one lemon
1 cup fresh lemon juice (4-6 lemons)
½ cup robust extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp honey
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
¼ tsp dried thyme (optional)
Directions:
In a medium bowl, whisk all ingredients briskly until combined. Use immediately or cover and refrigerate.
Tip: Re-whisk before serving if refrigerated in advance. Don’t get your feelings hurt if they don’t eat the chicken. It was worth a shot.
Easier-than-Pie Lemon Chiffon Cups
Serves 6-8
This recipe for smooth and tart lemon cups comes together easily but needs to be made in advance so it has time to properly set in the fridge.
Ingredients:
1 cup water
1 cup granulated sugar
2 TB lemon zest, divided in half
1 cup fresh lemon juice (4-6 lemons)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 TB cornstarch
2 eggs, room temperature
2 TB cold butter (dairy-free option: 2 TB cold coconut cream)
Optional toppings: vanilla cookies, graham crackers, fresh fruit, whipped cream
Directions:
- Make a lemon simple syrup. In a medium saucepan, add 1 cup of sugar and 1 TB of lemon zest to 1 cup of water.
- Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Simmer while stirring for 1 minute.
- Remove from heat and allow the lemon simple syrup to cool at room temperature.
- In a small bowl, mix together lemon juice, vanilla extract, and cornstarch. Set aside.
- Add eggs and lemon juice mixture to cooled sugar syrup in the saucepan. Whisk well.
- Cook over medium-low heat while whisking constantly until mixture comes to a gentle boil.
- Reduce heat to low and simmer while stirring for 1-2 minutes, until the mixture thickens.
- Remove from heat. Add remaining lemon zest and butter. Whisk until smooth and butter is melted through.
- Transfer to a serving bowl or individual cups. Cover and chill for at least 4 hours until set.
- Serve with whipped cream, fresh fruit, and vanilla cookies or graham crackers.
Tip: There is no end to the combination of toppings your family can use to make this dessert your own. Sprinkles? Yes, please!
The Many Talents of Lemons
Aside from its role as a guaranteed recipe brightener, the versatile lemon can be used in innumerable other ways.
- Discard your lemon peels in the garbage disposal to freshen and clean the blades. Be sure not to put lemon seeds down the drain.
- Freeze leftover lemon juice in ice trays for later use. The cubes are handy for a quick addition to a sauce or recipe. Throw a few into your daily water bottle and you have instant lemon water.
- Bugs, including mosquitos, hate the scent of lemon. Mix lemon juice and water in a small spray bottle and use it liberally as a nontoxic and inexpensive repellent.
- Lemon juice is a great exfoliator. Mix the juice of half a lemon with 1 TB of sugar and 1 tsp of honey for a refreshing facial scrub.
- Lemons are excellent stain removers. Use a mixture of lemon juice and salt to remove set-in stains on clothing and delicate linens.
- Lemons and other citrus fruits are natural mood lifters. Even smelling a fresh slice of lemon or orange can improve your state of mind.
I haven’t even scratched the surface of all that the mighty lemon has to offer. Share your favorite creative ways (lemon recipes included!) to use citrus in your daily life!
About the Author
A Jacksonville resident of more than 20 years, Heather Webb is a transplant from New England who loves the sunshine too much to call anywhere but Florida home. She is a writer and editor, and a work-from-home mom to two fantastic children who keep her on her toes and always laughing. She and her husband of 16 years love dancing badly to live music, especially outside. Heather is an amateur gardener and proud treehugger who treasures her friendships with the birds in her backyard, and (not so) secretly wants to someday have a pet goat. When she’s not enjoying tacos or a glass of bubbly with her besties, she’s been known to start craft projects that she likely won’t finish. Heather is the unabashed curator of a constantly expanding to-be-read stack of books, and if she had it her way, she’d read them all in a hammock in the sun somewhere.
