Originally Rainbowlicious: Lemon Yellow Traditional Cache

The lemon is a small evergreen tree native to Asia. The tree's ellipsoidal yellow fruit is used for culinary and non-culinary purposes throughout the world. The origin of the lemon is unknown, though lemons are thought to have first grown in Assam, northern Burma and China. A study of the genetic origin of the lemon reported it to be a hybrid between bitter orange (sour orange) and citron.

• Lemon juice, rind and zest are used in a wide variety of food and drinks. It is used in marinades for fish where its acid neutralizes amines in the meat by converting them into nonvolatire ammonium salts, and regular meat, where the acid partially hydrolyzes tough fibers, tenderizing the meat. Lemon juice is also frequently used in the United Kingdom to add to pancakes, especially on Shrove Tuesday.
• Industrially, lemons were the primary commerical source of citric acide before the development of fermentation-based processes.
• The juice of the lemon may be used for cleaning, and a halved lemon dipped in salt or baking powder is used to brighten copper cookware because the acide dissolves the tarnish and the abrasives assist the cleaning. The lemon can deodorize in the kitche, remove grease and bleach stains, and disinfect (when mixed with baking soda it removes stains from plastic food storage containers).
• Oil found in the lemon's peel also has various uses. It is used as a wood cleaner and polish, where its solvent property is employed to dissolve old wax, fingerprints and grime. Lemon oil and orange oil are also used as a nontoxic insecticide treatment. Additionally, lemon oil may be used in aromatherapy. It does not influence the human immune system, but enhances mood.
• A halved lemon is sometimes also used as a finger moistener for those counting large amounts of bills, such as tellers and cashiers.