Lemons have a long and illustrious history of uses. They’ve been used as a cleaning agent, to help combat scurvy, to make a refreshing summertime beverage, and to scare babies who try them for the first time. Lemons truly have a lot to offer us, and that includes providing mankind one of its most important resources: fire!

The video above on how to turn a lemon into fire comes from the YouTube page with the best accent on the internet, NorthSurvival, an account dedicated to successful living in the wilderness.

Here we get to see how a lemon, six copper clips, six zinc nails, a piece of wire, and some steel wool can be transformed into a source of electricity (around five volts) that can help spark a flame, one that will save you when you’re lost in the woods…and only have a lemon and MacGyver’s backpack to survive on.

Really what is happening is the lemon becomes a battery, which supplies the spark to ignite the fire. So you can use this survival tip to both cook a fish and then season it. As he notes in the video, if you try this yourself, be careful not to let the copper clips and zinc nails (or coins if you have them) touch each other. There’s no way to explain away being injured by a lemon that doesn’t sound ridiculous.

Check out some of NorthSurvival’s other videos, including how to bake a cake in an orange, and how to boil an egg in a potato. Because science. And food.

What cool survival tip do you know? We’re hungry to hear it in the comments below.

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Images: NorthSurvival/YouTube