Zest Things Up With 9 Fresh Ways to Cook With Lemon

Bright, zesty, and available year-round, lemons are one of the most versatile fruits you can keep in your kitchen. Packed with vitamin C and natural plant compounds like hesperidin (a powerful antioxidant found in citrus peels), lemons do far more than flavor your water. Their juice, zest, pulp—even the peel—can completely transform a dish. Fun fact: Those tiny dots on a lemon’s shiny skin are oil glands. That’s where the bold citrus aroma comes from! When you zest a lemon, you’re capturing those fragrant oils, adding concentrated flavor without extra calories or sodium. In fact, studies suggest that using lemon juice and zest can help reduce added salt in recipes by up to 75 percent without sacrificing taste. Since many modern diets run high in sodium, that’s a heart-smart swap worth trying. Ready to use the whole fruit? Here are nine creative (and delicious) ways to cook with lemon....