A thousand and one uses for a zested lemon | Kitchen aide

Bald lemons that have lost zest can still provide acid and flavor. Lemon juice works well in dressings when whisked with olive oil, salt, garlic, and pomegranate molasses, pairing with tomatoes, radishes, cucumber, and grilled vegetables. Juice should be squeezed early because lemons harden quickly and become difficult to extract. Lemon juice can be frozen in ice-cube trays for later use in cooking and drinks. The juice can be added to pastas, risottos, soups, and stews to freshen flavors. Bald lemons can also be cooked slowly with olive oil and salt to soften and sweeten them, resembling a quick confit, and can be used with baked fish by squeezing over the finished dish.

"Whisk the juice with olive oil, a pinch of salt, maybe a bit of garlic, and a drizzle of pomegranate molasses, Youssef says. That would then mingle nicely with all manner of things: tomatoes, radishes, cucumber, or grilled courgette or aubergine. But be sure to squeeze those lemons early, says Helen Graham, author of Centrepiece. Once bald, they go hard pretty quickly and are then almost impossible to squeeze, she says."

"Graham freezes the juice in ice-cube trays: You then have these little lemon cubes to use throughout the week, ready to turn something drab into something wow. Shaw agrees: I'd drop them into pastas, risottos, any soups or stews that need freshening up, or simply use them as ice cubes in drinks."

"If you have a good few bald lemons knocking around, Bel could do a lot worse than cooking them slowly with olive oil and a pinch of salt, Youssef adds: That's almost like a quick confit, and they turn soft, mellow and slightly sweet, and are especially pleasing spooned over meat, vegetables or fish."

"If you're baking fish, however, Shaw would be inclined to shove a bald lemon in the tray, too: When the fish is cooked, use tongs to squeeze the juice over the top you'll get a load out of it."

Read at www.theguardian.com