What do you do with a sack of lemons?

I bought a sack of lemons from Food Lovers Market for R19.99. 

 I made limoncello (which is brewing at the moment and will be bottled next week) from Giada De Laurentis's recipe which you can find on
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/limoncello-recipe/index.html. My sons say this is better than the Limoncello available at the local artisinal food markets. Once I have added the simple syrup and bottled the Limoncello, I will store it in a dark cupboard. Just before Christmas, I put the bottles into the freezer and we serve this tangy alcohol thick and syrupy from the freezer.

Second: My husband loves lemon marmalade which can be a huge fuss to make, but this time I used the BBC Food recipe on their website:

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1898654/lemon-marmalade. This recipe is really good - lovely clear jelly, good flavour and not too much fuss to make. 

Third: Then I made two bottles of lemon curd using my grandmother's recipe - slightly adapted for the microwave. I melt the butter in the microwave and then add the lemon juice, sugar and finally the well beaten eggs.  Then I microwave on full for one minute blasts, using a whisk in between each blast. It takes about 3 to 5 blasts of microwaves to get the lemon curd to coat the back of a spoon like good creme anglaise. Then bottle immediately.

Fourth: I froze the juice of 10 lemons in ice cube trays; the solid ice cubes are then transferred into a jiffy bag and kept in the freezer for whenever I need 1 or 2 teaspoons of lemon juice.

Fifth:  I tried my hand at the preserved salted lemons - the verdict is still out as the bottle has to mature.

Sixth: Now today I have tried a twist on Annabelle Langbein's Orange Lightning Cake by using a tried and trusted cupcake recipe and incorporating the processed puree of 1 whole lemon (skin and all) into the batter.

The lemons I used are ordinary Eureka lemons, but if you are lucky enough to have access to Meyer lemons, use them instead as their flavour is much less sharp. The puree of the boiled lemon tasted very bitter and I was a little worried, but it tastes quite good - the cupcake is not as sweet as normal.

Now you can amp up the flavour like I am doing. The frosting will be a butter and cream cheese frosting with lemon curd. And if you want to make an extra special cupcake, pop a white chocolate truffle into the centre of the warm cupcake. It will start to melt but there should be enough solid left when you eat it.

Not bad for a sack of lemons. And there are a few left for G&Ts!

Hello other ordinary cooks out there. I am not a chef and if you are reading this, the odds are you aren't either. I just love food and I love thinking about food and reading about food - in fact I am a bit of a gastrophile.  I love trying new things and the idea is that I will share a new idea or tip or recipe every week. I hope you will try then and let me know how you did.