10 Things to Know About Lemons 

1. Please handle the fruit.
Most lemons are Eurekas or Lisbons. Eurekas have somewhat thicker rinds, but regardless of variety, look for a lemon that feels heavy in the hand and which, gently squeezed, gives nicely and doesn’t seem to have a thick, hard rind (less juice inside). Lemons turn from green to yellow because of temperature changes, not ripeness, so green patches are OK, but avoid those with brown spots, which indicate rot.

6. Get the most from every fruit.
Before juicing, roll a room-temperature lemon under your palm to break down the cells inside the fruit that hold liquid. If a fruit is especially hard (and sometimes it’s hard to find a good one in an entire supermarket bin), microwave the fruit for 20 seconds. You should get 2 to 3 tablespoons of juice per fruit.

Zester: Round holes yield long, thin strips of lemon rind, perfect for ­garnishing soups or desserts such as cheesecake or ice cream