Only fools wouldn’t know what to do when life gives them lemons. But what if these lemons are only figurative; what if the uplifting thought of a glass of freshly squeezed shikanji is hard to realise even in reality. On our last trip to the neighbourhood market, a regular lime cost us R12 per piece. We dropped plans of making nimbu achaar on the day, and returned with the guilt of not having grown a kitchen garden. Since a shortage in the supply of lemons might be felt in the coming weeks, too, we invite home chefs for tips to replace the ingredient in our daily foods.

Stock up

The supply crunch and price hike might make #nolemonslemonade a trend on social media. Jokes apart, the taste and punch of lemon is hard to replicate. I follow a few simple steps in our kitchen that help us bear with summertime.