Lemons are our stalwart companions in the kitchen.

Their scent inspires us when we don’t want to think about cooking. Their flavor can wake up our taste buds and add life to a bland dish. Their acid works wonders, from tenderizing meat to thickening egg yolk mixtures.

Even their color makes a dull day look brighter.

Most of the other citrus fruits, especially oranges and grapefruits, come into season in mid-winter. But lemons, with a longer growing season, are around almost all the time.

Getting the best from a lemon means understanding a lemon. Luckily, it isn’t hard. Once you know a few simple tools and techniques, lemons are right there – ready to be your main squeeze.

Zest

Most citrus peels have two parts. There’s the zest, the colored part on the very outside of the rind. Under that is the pith, the white coating. Pith is bitter, but zest is loaded with flavor and volatile oils. Always wash fruit before zesting.

Tip: When a recipe calls for both juice and zest, always zest the fruit first, then cut it in half and juice it. Zesting tools work best on firm, whole fruit.

More tips

Bottled lemon juice doesn’t compare to fresh in flavor. The only time bottled juice is preferable is when you’re canning and need a reliable percentage of acidity. Fresh juice doesn’t keep long. If you have too much, freeze it in ice cube trays.

Even juiced lemon halves have uses. Grind a few in your garbage disposal to keep it smelling fresh. Scrape out halves and use them to serve lemon sorbet. Or save empty shells in the freezer and use them to stuff roast chickens.

Don’t like the brand name stamped on your lemon? Try a food stylist’s trick: Rub it off using lemon extract. (Vanilla works, too.)

If you need only a little juice and you don’t want to pick out seeds, juice one the fast way. Hold a lemon half in your hand with the cut side against your palm. Squeeze, letting the juice run through your fingers and catching the seeds in your palm.

Tools

Zester

A short hand tool that usually has three to five holes on the end. Buy one that feels comfortable, but run your finger under the holes first. They should feel a little jagged or rough. If they’re too smooth, they may be harder to use.

How to do it: Hold the zester flat on the surface, then draw down while digging in slightly. Because zesters make shallow cuts, it’s hard to go too far down and hit the pith.

What you get: Thin, fine strands.

Stripper

Also called a channel knife. A short hand tool with a single, raised cutting edge in the middle. Although most zesters include a stripper, it is usually smaller and duller. A stripper that is just a stripper usually does a better job.

How to do it: Hold it flat on the surface of the fruit, then pull down to remove a thin strip of zest. Don’t do it over more than one spot at a time, so you don’t dig too deeply.

What you get: A long, thin strip. In cocktails garnished with a twist, hold the strip over the glass and twist it to release the oils before dropping it in the drink.

Microplane zester/grater

A brand name for a line of kitchen tools. The original was based on a wood rasp. Our favorite is the 12-inch zester/grater ($12.95 suggested retail), which has a handle and rows of razor-sharp teeth.

How to do it: Hold it on the surface of the fruit and pull down with short, steady strokes. Turn the fruit about every two strokes so you don’t cut into the pith. Hold the tool curved-side up to catch the zest, or down to zest directly into something. (We hold it downward and zest onto waxed paper, so it’s easy to gather and measure the zest.) When you’re finished, rap the blade sharply on a bowl or work surface to release zest clinging to it.

What you get: Short, small pieces that mix easily into recipes.

Vegetable peeler

Flat blade with a hollow center. Numerous designs are available; pick one that feels comfortable. Serrated-edge peelers cut too deep for zest.

How to do it: Holding the fruit, make shallow strokes to remove wide strips. If you get white pith on the underside, rub it off with the tip of a knife.

What you get: Wide, long strips that you can cut into thin, julienne pieces. Wide strips are great for adding zest to a sauce or stew while cooking so you can fish it out later. Also good for making candied lemon peel to garnish dishes.

Reamer

A hand-held tool for juicing citrus halves. It’s too small to efficiently juice oranges and grapefruits, but it’s perfect for lemons and limes. A good reamer should have a pointed end, for pushing into the fruit and holding it, and sharply ridged edges. Wooden reamers usually have better shapes. Metal ones often have rounded edges that don’t juice as well.

How to do it: Hold the lemon or lime half in one hand and push the reamer into the center, squeezing and turning the half over a small bowl or measuring cup.

What you get: Juice. To catch the seeds, use it over a small strainer, or use a small spoon to scoop them out.

Caramelized lemon tart

Makes 10 servings. Talk about oomph. This tart is wonderfully tart, with a crispy sugar topping like creme brulee. From “Geoffrey Zakarian’s Town/Country,” by Manhattan chef Geoffrey Zakarian (Clarkson Potter, 2006).

Dough:

3/4 cup (1½) unsalted butter, room temperature

1/3 cup confectioner’s sugar

1 large egg yolk

1½ cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon heavy cream

Filling:

3 lemons, washed

5 large egg yolks

3/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar, divided

½ cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream

Method:

Prepare dough at least 4 hours in advance. Place butter and confectioners sugar in bowl and beat with electric mixer on low speed just until combined (don’t beat until creamy). Add egg yolk and mix just until combined. Add flour all at once and beat until about 3/4 incorporated. Add cream and beat on low just until dough comes together. Scrape out of bowl onto plastic wrap, shape into a flattened disc and refrigerate 2 to 3 hours.

PREHEAT oven to 375 degrees. Let dough stand at room temperature about 15 minutes. Place on a lightly floured work surface and roll out to 1/8 inch thick. Gently fit into a 10-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. (Dough will be fragile; use scrapes to patch tears.) Freeze crust about 15 minutes.

PLACE a sheet of foil inside the crust and cover with pie weights or dried beans. Bake 10 minutes. Remove foil and weights and bake 10 minutes longer, until light gold.

FILLING: Prepare while crust is baking. Finely grate zest of 1 lemon into a small bowl, then squeeze all three lemons into the bowl over a small strainer to catch seeds.

WHISK together egg yolks and 3/4 cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar in a separate bowl. Whisk in lemon zest and juice, then whisk in cream.

REDUCE oven temperature to 250 and slide out rack with crust. Pour filling into the hot crust and slide back into the oven. Bake 30 minutes, until barely set and still jiggly. Remove from oven and cool at least 30 minutes. (Can be made to this point up to 24 hours in advance and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before finishing.)

MOVE oven rack to highest level and preheat broiler. Sprinkle 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar evenly over tart. Place under broiler until sugar is melted and light brown. (Watch carefully and turn it every couple of minutes to keep the sugar from burning.) Cut into thin wedges to serve.

—

LEMON CURD

Makes 11/2 cups. From “Kitchen Sense,” by Mitchell Davis (Clarkson Potter, 2006). It’s not difficult to make your own and the flavor is fresher than the stuff in the jars. It’s also handy – use it to fill mini tart shells or dessert crepes, or put in the middle of a lemon layer cake. Or use it for a short-cut lemon mousse (see directions).

Finely grated zest of 1 lemon

3/4 cup fresh lemon juice (from 3 to 4 lemons)

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

6 large egg yolks

COMBINE lemon zest, juice, sugar and butter in a small saucepan. Place over medium-low heat and bring to a simmer, stirring, until sugar is dissolved and butter is melted.

PLACE egg yolks in a medium heat-proof bowl and whisk to blend. Whisking constantly, pour in about 1/2 cup of the hot lemon mixture to temper the eggs, then whisk in the rest of the lemon mixture. Return to the saucepan and place over low heat.

COOK, whisking or stirring constantly, until the curd begins to thicken, 4 to 6 minutes. (It may still seem very soft, but when you dip in a metal spoon, it should coat the spoon and leave a clear trail when you draw your finger over the back.)

STRAIN into a bowl to remove seeds if necessary and cover with plastic wrap pressed into the surface. Chill for several hours. (It will thicken more as it chills.) Keep refrigerated for several weeks.

LEMON MOUSSE: Whip about 1/2 cup heavy cream in a chilled mixing bowl until thick and fluffy. Fold in 1/2 cup lemon curd, using a rubber spatula and lifting it through the mixture until combined. Spoon into dessert dishes and chill before serving. Makes about 4 servings.

—

LEMONADE

Makes 1 1/2 quarts. We’ve adapted this recipe from one we found in Cook’s Illustrated about 10 years ago. The technique is more work than just stirring up lemon juice, water and sugar, but it makes a seriously lemony lemonade.

10 to 12 lemons

1 1/2 cups sugar

5 cups cold water

WASH lemons. Cut each one in half lengthwise, then cut each half into thin slices, piling them into a wide, deep bowl as you work. Sprinkle with sugar and let stand about 5 minutes.

USING a potato masher or heavy-duty pastry cutter, mash lemons and sugar together until sugar is dissolved, lemon slices have released their juice and juice is a thick syrup. (We sit down to do this – it takes some elbow power.)

STRAIN through a sieve into a bowl, pressing on lemons to remove all the syrup. Transfer syrup to a pitcher. Add cold water, stir and chill before serving over ice.

—

BLUEBERRIES WITH LEMON CREAM

Makes 6 servings. Adapted from “The French Market,” by Joanne Harris and Fran Warde (William Morrow, 2006). Blueberries and lemon are a classic combination, although you could make this simple dessert with other berries, such as raspberries or even blackberries. The original recipe calls for coating the top with confectioner’s sugar and broiling. Granulated sugar worked better when we tried it, but we also thought it wasn’t necessary. Serve these warm or chilled.

1 pint blueberries

4 large eggs

2/3 cup superfine sugar (see note)

Zest and juice of 3 lemons

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream

About 1/2 cup granulated sugar (optional)

HEAT oven to 300 degrees. Divide berries among 6 (8-ounce) ovenproof ramekins.

WHISK together eggs, superfine sugar, lemon juice and zest until smooth. Stir in cream. Pour equal amounts over berries in each ramekin.

PLACE ramekins in a roasting pan. Place on center rack of oven and pour in enough hot water to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake until lemon cream looks set, about 30 minutes.

REMOVE from water using tongs and cool completely. Refrigerate if desired. (Can be made at least 24 hours in advance.)

SERVE chilled or at room temperature. Or sprinkle tops with granulated sugar and place under broiler until melted and lightly caramelized. Cool before serving.

NOTE: Superfine sugar dissolves more easily and is sometimes found with bar supplies. To make it, place granulated sugar in a food processor and pulse several times to grind it more finely.

—

CHICKEN BRAISED WITH LEMON, FENNEL AND BLACK OLIVES

Serves 6. From “The Essential Eating Well Cookbook,” edited by Patsy Jamieson (Countryman Press, 2004). This is very adaptable. You can double it, and it can be started well in advance, so it makes a good potluck offering. You can even skip the fennel if you can’t find it or don’t like it.

2 teaspoons grated lemon zest, divided

3 tablespoons lemon juice, divided

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste

1 1/4 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs, trimmed and cut into 3 pieces each

1 large fennel bulb

1 large onion

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth

1/2 cup oil-cured black olives, pitted

Cooked couscous for serving

WHISK 1 teaspoon lemon zest, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 tablespoon oil, garlic, oregano, sugar, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Place chicken pieces in an 11-by-7-inch (2-quart) baking dish. Pour sauce over chicken and stir to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes and up to 8 hours.

PREHEAT oven to 350 degrees. Trim stalks from fennel and set aside. Slice fennel bulb lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices, then cut each slice into 1/4-inch-wide slivers. Peel onion, cut in half lengthwise and slice.

HEAT remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add fennel and onion and cook, stirring often, until softened and lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Add wine, broth and remaining 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Bring to a simmer, stirring. Cook 5 minutes, then stir in olives. Spoon over chicken. Cover with foil.

BAKE until chicken is cooked through and fennel is tender, 35 to 40 minutes. Finely chop enough fennel fronds to make 2 tablespoons. Combine with remaining 1 teaspoon lemon zest and sprinkle over chicken. Serve with cooked couscous.

—

GREMOLATA BUTTER

Makes about 1 cup. Adapted from “Sunday Suppers At Lucques,” by Suzanne Goin (Knopf, 2005). Traditionally, gremolata is a mixture of parsley, lemon zest and garlic that’s sprinkled over osso buco. Here, it makes a flavored butter than you can store in the freezer. Put a slice on cooked fish or roasted chicken, or spread it on toasted bread for crostini.

Grated zest of 1 lemon

6 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves

1 large clove garlic, minced

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon salt

PLACE lemon zest, parsley and garlic on a cutting board. Chop together until very fine. Place a small bowl with butter, lemon juice and salt. Stir and mash together until well blended.

WRAP in plastic wrap and shape into a log. Store in freezer.