Teresa Knight - The ABCs of Lemon: DIY Recipes for Cleaning, Health, and Beauty

The ABCs of Lemon

DIY Recipes for Cleaning, Health, and Beauty

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I have to admit it right now- I am a definite fan of the lemon. I drink a cup of warm water and lemon juice every single morning, no lie. I have used most of the tips that I have included in this book, and the ones that I have not used are new to me and I will be using them in the very near future. I just love lemons so much. I love the way they look piled high in a bowl in the kitchen. I love the way that they smell. I love the bite of the straight lemon juice cut with a little bit of water. Lemonade is a glorious treat to me. Lemon pies, lemon custard, lemon curd are all delicious.

No part of the lemon goes to waste in my house. I squeeze the juice out of them, zip off the zest and then use the peels for many of the things you will find in this book. Truth be told, the noble lemon often finds itself a plaything for one of my dogs. Yes, even my completely insane Rottweiler finds a lemon to be more than just another fruit.

You will not find any over the top claims here, though. Lemons do not need the over eager endorsement of the carnival barker that other foods seem to need. Since the times of the ancient Egyptians lemons have been just fine without any slick ad campaigns, celebrity endorsements or worse, being part of the latest Dr. Quackenputz scheme for better health. Lemons are awesome purely because they are. Set your lips to pucker and lets dive into the wonderful, fragrant world of the lemon!

I n this chapter you will learn:

• The many benefits of lemons
• Best resources and suggestions for buying lemons

P eople always use that one saying about lemons to tell you what to do when things go wrong, or things are bad and that frankly makes me a little puzzled. You know the saying I am talking about, right? The one about if life hands you lemons... Okay, so here is what I am going to tell you right now. If life hands you lemons you just smile and say thank you very much because believe me, lemons are about the best things that you could be given.

The ancient Egyptians were not the only ancient civilization to use lemons- they have been used wherever they have been found as long as there have been people. From use as a digestive aid to a treatment for some poisons, lemons, and lemon juice have been treated as more than just food but as a medicine and so much more.

I n my small town, there is a small-time car dealer that advertises with a home of the lemons sign. One year he decided that as a part of his promotion he would give away a basket of lemons with every car purchased from his lot and of course, he made mention of how many of his cars managed to limp along for many years even though they were sold as lemons. Once again, the fruit was being maligned for nothing more than cheap theatrics. Of course, everyone loved the promotion but no one actually bought a car just to get the lemons.

After you finish reading this book, you are going to want more than a fair share of lemons. Because of price fluctuations and availability there is no real way for me to give universal advice about the best way to get lemons for less. Here are some very general ideas that you might be able to use to get your own lemons for the best prices.

• Dont be afraid to comparison shop. Some (if not most) stores will honor advertised prices from other local stores so if you are finding a better price per pound, show that advertisement to the manager and see if they will meet the lower price.
• Dont be afraid of the discount bins at your favorite store. My usual store has an ugly fruit bin where prices are outrageously low. If you find a good sale on lemons stock up and then freeze them. There are several ways of doing this. You can freeze the whole lemon as is- but keep in mind that the thawed fruit will be kind of mushy. You can zest the lemon while it is still frozen (it is far more effective to zest this way). You can also quarter or slice the lemons and freeze them in a single layer on a cookie sheet or pan. Once they are frozen, you can store in a freezer bag. You can also juice the lemons. Freeze the lemon juice in ice cube trays until solid and then transfer to a freezer bag for long term storage.
• A strange but possible solution: grow your own. Yes, even people who live in less than temperate areas of the country can possibly grow their own lemon trees. Well cared for trees should start bearing fruit in two years or so. You will probably have to still buy lemons for the first year or so after they start producing, however.

Desperate times call for desperate measures, and if you need to, you can use bottled lemon juice for some of the tips in this book but not all of them. Make sure that you are buying quality lemon juice with no other ingredients, preservatives or chemicals and always keep the opened bottle in the fridge.

B ecause I am a huge fan of both lemons and food, in general, I wanted to start our lemon love fest in the kitchen. Of course, there are the obvious lemony goodies- lemonade, lemon pies, lemon bars and the like but there are other things that lemons are perfect for as well. Before we get started, I wanted you to notice that I am not sharing a million recipes here, and that is with very good reason. There are dozens if not more recipe varieties for lemonade. I just do not want to set off some kind of snappy war with my own version because everyone is convinced that theirs is the very best. Fiddlesticks! Mine is the best, and there will be no further discussion! (No, seriously, my lemonade is pretty good.)

One of my favorite things to do with lemon juice (and some zest) is also a very healthy trick. Instead of salad dressing I merely squirt some fresh lemon juice directly on my salad, and I get a tangy zing plus some bright, fresh flavor without all of the oil and extra calories. I prefer to save my calories for additional flavors in the salad itself rather than on the dressing. I throw in some zest for color, and additional flavor plus I have to admit it makes the salad look like it was made by a foodie.

Another favorite is lemony broccolini. If you are not familiar with it, broccolini is a very lovely but often misunderstood vegetable. Commonly thought of as baby broccoli it is actually a hybrid of broccoli and another vegetable. Broccolini has longer stems and is far more tender than broccoli and if prepared well is tastier as well. My version is steamed with a squeeze of lemon and a few strips of lemon peel for color.

I drizzle lemon juice over brown rice. Also, here is a tip that I just recently learned: mix one teaspoon of lemon juice in the water you are cooking your rice in, and it will come out far fluffier than it usually does. Try it! It really works! I use it mixed with water to steam cabbage and onions for a fresh and light take on the fried dish that I grew up on. I love the taste and how it complements so many different foods.