Cultivated and used in food and ritual for thousands of years, lemons are very frequently simply peeled and consumed, with the peels being discarded. The peel, however, is actually quite edible and safe to eat. Indeed, it makes a fantastic addition to the kitchen, and has been found mixed with melted butter, served over fish or in flavoring pies, cakes and other such confections. Though it can provide quite a bitter taste if too much is added, in smaller amounts it provides a pleasant, citrusy taste to a wide array of dishes.

While rarely attributed any use outside of culinary practices in the Western world, Lemon peel has been used for quite some time in Africa and India for medicinal purposes. In Africa, it has a reputation for being quite functional in the treatment of baby's colic. In India, the peel is frequently used to soothe upset stomachs. More recent study has also shown that the peel can be quite useful as a source of calcium, potassium and vitamin A, with some research even suggesting that it can help prevent the growth of abnormal tissues on the skin or support the reduction of various sorts of skin melanoma.