It’s citrus time! Lemon, Orange, Lime, Mandarin and Cumquat trees all over Melbourne are heavily laden with ripe fruit. We’ve got heaps of lemons on our tree that need using. Last week we asked our Facebook Fans for some recipes to help use up our glut of lemons. Here’s what they came up with.

Lemons and other citrus fruit are ripening on trees all over Melbourne at the moment

Stu’s Home-made Lemon Cordial Recipe

A great, refreshing, lemon treat for summertime!

• 2 kg castor sugar
• 1 litre water
• 30g citric acid
• 30g tartaric acid
• juice from 6-8 lemons, strained
• finely grated zest from 2 lemons

Heat the sugars and the water in a large saucepan until the sugar completely dissolves.

Add the citric and tartaric acids and stir them to dissolve as well. Let the syrup cool, then add the lemon juice and the zest. Bottle into sterilised jars.

Dilute with water, sparkling water, or why not try gin and soda?!

Lemon Butter Recipe

Used in all manner of recipes. Lemon butter or lemon curd one of the tastiest ways to use up lemons.

• 4 eggs, beaten
• ½ cup lemon juice
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 125 g butter
• ¾ cup sugar

Heat sugar, juice, zest and butter and stir until melted & hot. Pour over beaten eggs, stirring constantly. Return to low heat and stir constantly until thickened. Do not allow to boil. Bottle.

Will keep for a week or two in the fridge, although it’s sure to be devoured well before then.

Aunty Kerrie’s Lemon Slice Recipe

Laura shared her Aunt Kerrie’s famous lemon slice recipe with us. It sounds delicious!

• 250g butter
• 1 ¼ cups castor sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• ⅔  cup almond meal
• 2 cups plain flower
• ½ cup flaked almonds
• 1 jar of Lemon butter (see above)

Cream butter and sugar. Add vanilla. Fold in flour and almond meal and mix. Reserve 1/3 mixture and refrigerate. Place remaining 2/3 into a large, lined slice tray and spread, patting down with hands. Bake at 180^oC for 12 minutes, or until just golden. Cool.

Cover base with lemon curd, then remaining crumble mixture and flaked almonds. Bake for a further 25 minutes.

Chill before serving

Preserved Lemon Recipe

Preserved lemons are an integral part of Moroccan cooking. These are great for using in a Moroccan Chicken dish!

• 8 thin skinned juicy lemons
• rock salt
• large glass screw-top jar
• 6 cardamom pods
• 3 bay leaves
• 3 birds eye chillies

Gently scrape the pores of the lemon against the medium setting of grater to break open the pores.

Place them in large bowl and cover completely with cold water. Set aside in cool place.

After 24 hours, pour the water off the lemons and repeat the 24 hour soak again with fresh water. This helps to remove any bitterness.

On the third day, pour off the water. Cut off the tips of the lemons. Cut each lemon lengthwise into quarters, but be very careful not cut all the way through (they should go about halfway to the centre). This should leave the quarters still attached at the base. Pack each incision with a good heaped teaspoon of rock salt.

Place stuffed lemons in a sterilised glass jar, add cardamom pods, bay leaves and chillies.

Pour boiling water over contents and screw on the lid while the water is still hot. Leave for 40 days in a cool dark place.

Serve by themselves as an accompaniment to a cold beer; use in tajine and couscous dishes.

Once opened, transfer the jar to the refrigerator, where they should keep well for several months.

Squeeze and Freeze

Tried all these lemon recipe ideas and still have lemons to use up? Squeeze them into ice cube trays and freeze- then use for anything when you need them!

Have you got any recipes or ideas for using our excess lemons? Add them in the comments below and we’ll incorporate them into this post.