This is what you do with all those lemons

Lemon, lemon on the wall, who is the handiest fruit of all?

Lemon delicious indeed. Source: Alan Benson

Lemons are one of the most versatile fruits around. This is just as well when you consider how prolific a backyard lemon tree can be. More than one glut of lemons a year is not uncommon.

Which is great news for anyone who loves a zingy recipe. Nothing puts the tang into food like a lemon can. It makes sweet things taste sweeter and sour things taste better.

If you find yourself with plentiful lemons (and even if you don't), give one of these recipes a whirl.

Keep 'em for later

Rule of life #563: Never, ever let a lemon go to waste. They are just too precious and handy. This method of pickling and preserving whole lemons will add the 'wow' factor to your cooking, as any Middle Eastern foodie will tell you. Keep reading for recipe ideas to use your preserved lemons.

Sumac good

The depth of flavour that preserved lemons bring defies the quick cooking time. Source: Bentio Martin

Preserved lemons add the tart to sumac's tang and together they make chicken wings fly.

Well-schooled

Add a lemon wedge to squeeze over your school prawn fritti before you dunk it in the creamy aïoli. Source: Benito Martin

A pile of school prawns dipped into a preserved lemon aïoli is exactly the kind of simple dish that lemons love so well. This is a dish that's made for eating with others, preferably in the sunshine.

Well-stuffed

You can cook this dish in a barbecue, a further way to herald a fresh new season. Source: John Laurie

Lamb stuffed with preserved lemon, caperberries, currants and pine nuts is about as good as a springtime meal gets. Served with extra lemon wedges to squeeze over the lot... lemon just gets lamb and the feeling is mutual.

The whole and nothing but

Sweetly mouth-puckering. Source: Donna Hay: Fast, Fresh, Simple

Donna Hay's lemon pudding is what happens when you chuck an entire lemon (sans seeds) into your food processor and add the sugar, butter and eggs trinity. It's divine.

Fully shakin'

A shortbread-like pastry filled with an extra-lemony curd is basically heaven. Source: Danielle Abou Karam

This delightfully crumbly lemon pie from Ohio's Shaker community also uses the whole lemon without the seeds. Lemon seeds are bitter and basically inedible, so that's a good reason to leave them out of everything you ever make.

Nothing fishy

The lemon is nicely infused with fishy flavours, too. Source: Alan Benson

Whole lemons are also grand when steamed with fish. Here a whole snapper goes into the steamer with lemon and blacked beans. The lemon steams through the entire fish, delicately flavouring it and keeping it super moist.

Skin in the game

Lemon skins aren't as fancy as preserved whole lemons, but it's a great way to produce a delicious kitchen staple. Source: Murdoch Books / Alan Benson

Of course, preserving lemon rinds is also essential. You can throw them into any savoury dish that calls for lemons and they'll add an extra lemon hit. The salt is a bonus flavour enhancer.

Fittingly named

Get the beaters out... Source: Alan Benson

Someone once mentioned that they'd never eat a lemon delicious pudding (hadn't even heard of one, can you believe it!?) and we couldn't get the butter, sugar and lemon rind beaten fast enough. Their verdict: "where has this delicious pudding been all my life?"

Holiday zest

Carrots tossed with dukkah and preserved lemon is basically Egypt in a bowl. Source: Bloomsbury

Put your preserved lemon skins to good use in an Egyptian carrot salad. One bite and you'll swear you're sailing down the Nile under a felucca sail at sunset.

Lemon marmalade

Melmelada de llimona adds plenty of zing to your morning toast. Source: Rochelle Eagle

Orange often gets all the glory, but lemon doesn't mind. It knows it's sour enough already.

Candy hit

Once you make your first batch of candied citrus, you'll find you always want to have a jar on your bench. Source: Quadrille / Mowie Key

There's the salt-preserved lemon zest, and then there's the candied version. This stuff is seriously addictive, in that 'sour lollies' way that makes your mouth pucker and your eyes water. Eat it straight from the jar if you dare, or add it to many recipes that call for lemon zest for added punch.

Sliced right

The perfect accompaniment to a nice cup of tea, a lemon drizzle slice is light, zesty and not too cakey. Source: Lemon slice (Donal's Kitchen Hero)

A lemon slice is exactly the right way to use lemon zest. A lemon drizzle icing and extra zest top things off nicely.

Zesty potatoes

Potatoes soak up lemon zest like the ocean soaks up the sun. The result is potato kibbeh, comfort food that slaps you back onto your feet in no time.

Juice it up

A fancy lemonade is such a happy way to use lemons. Source: Nik Sharma

A Bombay lemonade is just what the doctor would order if that doctor was boiling hot and needed a cool down. It's the most refreshing way to dress up lemon juice.

Lemon drizzle

A pour of lemon syrup adds such depth to a simple cake that will take you moments to whip together. Source: Tammi Kwok

Many irresistible cake recipes allow you to pour sweet, sweet lemon syrup over the top for flavour and moisture. This is one of those cakes.

Lemon favourite

Adam Liaw's lemon chicken is every bit as good as the local takeaway *and* he step-by-steps us through it. Source: Danielle Abou Karam

Lemon chicken is like the spaghetti bolognese of China. This is to say that everyone loves it and every home cook is happy to tackle it because it's such a family favourite.

Peak lemon

An extra-zingy curd oozes from the centre of this sweet, biscuity cake. Source: Lottie Hedley, The Great Australian Baking Book

This Belgian lemon teacake brings the juice and zest together in the most lemony of lemon curds you're ever likely to crave. The combination of shortcake and curd means you will not make this stunning cake only once. As every lemon lover knows, it pays to end of a sweet note.