Summer time brings an abundance of lemonade stands on neighborhood street corners run by ambitious children looking to earn a few dollars. The site of children waving poster board, jumping around trying to get neighbors to drop a few quarters always brings a smile to my face as personal childhood memories come to mind.

When you think of lemons you may think of warmer climates here in the United States like California, Arizona or Florida. But did you know that lemons originated in China? Lemonade was a favorite drink of the Chinese Emperors before it became such a popular summer time beverage. Lemons were brought to the United States by Catholic missionaries who planted them in California and Arizona. Now the United States produces about one third of the worlds lemons.

There are many used for lemons. They are used to flavor food, to garnish plates and for a variety of household purposes. Here are a few tips on how to get the most out of your lemons.

How to Store Lemons:

Lemons will keep at room temperature for about two weeks. Store them in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to six weeks. Or to get the most out of your produce dollar you can freeze them.

Freeze lemons by washing and drying them well. Cut them into quarters and place on a cookie sheet. set in the freezer until frozen. Remove them from the cookie sheet and store in a freezer bag taking them out as needed. Do not freeze lemons whole as they will turn mushy. You can also freeze the juice in ice cube trays if you prefer not to save the whole lemon.

Additional uses for lemons:

Here are a few ideas for using lemons.

You can add a twist of lemon to water in ice cube trays before freezing to add a little extra zip to beverages.

Combine lemon and salt to treat rust or clean copper.

If your having trouble getting whipping cream to stiffen add a few drops of lemon juice.

Remove funky odors like fish or onions from containers or the fridge by rubbing them down with a fresh lemon .

Tip:

To get the most lemon juice out of a fresh lemon, place it in the microwave for about 15 seconds. Then roll it firmly on the counter before cutting it open.