Produce
Lemons
USDA’s programme has not sampled lemons in any year this site ingests, so there is no residue figure for them here. The general case still holds: almost nobody eats the peel — unless you zest, which is the one use where the peel becomes food.
Organic upgrade priority
Residue data does not apply
- →Pesticide residue monitoring does not apply to this food in the same way.
Key numbers
- Nutrient density
- 72/100
- Per calorie, across the whole database
- Typical price
- $0.79
- per each · organic +51%
- Servings a week
- 3
- Per person, at typical purchase volume
Nutrition
Per 1 medium, juiced (48 g).
12
calories
0.4 g
protein
0.3 g
fiber
—
sugar
- Vitamin C 24% DV
- Citric acid
- Limonene in the peel
How to wash lemons
Scrub the peel under running water before zesting or dropping a wedge into a drink. If you only use the juice, the peel data barely matters.
Washing reduces surface residue and soil. It does not remove systemic compounds taken up into the plant, and no soap, vinegar, or commercial produce wash has been shown to beat 30 seconds of plain running water by a margin worth paying for. Full washing guide.
Buying and storing
- ◆Buy organic specifically when a recipe calls for zest. That is the one use where the peel becomes food, and the one where the absence of testing data matters most.
- ◆A lemon at room temperature yields nearly twice the juice of one straight from the fridge; roll it under your palm first.
Common questions
›Is lemons a healthy choice?
USDA’s programme has not sampled lemons in any year this site ingests, so there is no residue figure for them here. The general case still holds: almost nobody eats the peel — unless you zest, which is the one use where the peel becomes food. A 1 medium, juiced (48 g) serving provides 12 calories, 0.4 g protein, and 0.3 g fiber, scoring 72/100 on nutrient density.
›Does lemons need to be organic?
Pesticide residue monitoring does not apply to lemons the way it does to fresh produce, so this site does not assign an organic upgrade priority. The label buys you a defined set of production standards rather than a measurable change in residue evidence.
›How should I wash lemons?
Scrub the peel under running water before zesting or dropping a wedge into a drink. If you only use the juice, the peel data barely matters.
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