Five Great Ways To Add Lemons To Your Life
Lemons provide a whole lot of nutrition in a small package, loaded with nutrients and low in both calories and fat. For most people, lemons are too tart to eat on their own, so they typically end up part of a cocktail, baked good, or other dish. That’s great.
But, you don’t need to find a lemon oriented recipe for everything you want to make. You can add more lemon to your life just by getting creative.
First – About Lemons
You’ll want to try different kinds of lemons. Each one has a slightly different taste profile.
• Eureka lemons – the usual yellow lemon with that familiar lemon fresh scent;
• Variegated pink lemons – a thinner, sometimes striped peel, and blush pink fruit a little tarter than Eureka, with a flowery fragrance;
• Meyer lemons – thinner peel that can be more orange in color, with yellow to yellow-orange fruit that is sweeter than the Eureka (less sugar required), and has a fragrance like thyme.
Both the zest – the colored part of the peel – and the juice are rich in vitamins and phytochemicals beneficial to human health. In fact, the more saturated color of the peel is your clue that it is even more nutrient-dense that the flesh. Use both to get the most out of your lemons.
Five Ways To Make Lemons Your Everyday Kitchen Staple
1. Seasoning – use a squeeze of fresh lemon juice in place of salt – you’ll be amazed at how delicious it is. Lemon juice is a natural flavor enhancer, just like salt. Try it on french fries and potatoes, grilled meats and fish, and over veggies with a drizzle of olive oil or melted butter.
2. Sauces – a squeeze of lemon juice and spoonful of lemon zest, along with a handful of herbs, turns pan juices into a gourmet pan sauce for fish or chicken. Add lemon zest to gravies for an extra splash of flavor.
3. Baked Goods – add a squeeze of lemon juice and lemon zest to your favorite cakes, cupcakes, and fruit pies for an added dimension of flavor. It’s also the perfect addition to fillings and icing.
4. Pasta – lemon zest makes almost any pasta sauce even better than before, including tomato and creamy versions. For a really simple gourmet style dinner, make your favorite pasta aioli – with olive oil and garlic – and add lemon zest and black pepper.
5. Salads & Marinades – lemon juice and oil, in a ratio of about 1:2, are the basis for vinaigrettes and marinades for meat, poultry, and fish. Simply add your favorite herbs, garlic, chili flakes – whatever suits the main dish.
Five Ways To Make Lemons An Everyday Kitchen Staple
Ingredients
- Lemons
Instructions
- Seasoning – use a squeeze of fresh lemon juice in place of salt – you’ll be amazed at how delicious it is. Lemon juice is a natural flavor enhancer, just like salt. Try it on french fries and potatoes, grilled meats and fish, and over veggies with a drizzle of olive oil or melted butter.
- Sauces – a squeeze of lemon juice and spoonful of lemon zest, along with a handful of herbs, turns pan juices into a gourmet pan sauce for fish or chicken. Add lemon zest to gravies for an extra splash of flavor.
- Baked Goods – add a squeeze of lemon juice and lemon zest to your favorite cakes, cupcakes, and fruit pies for an added dimension of flavor. It’s also the perfect addition to fillings and icing.
- Pasta – lemon zest makes almost any pasta sauce even better than before, including tomato and creamy versions. For a really simple gourmet style dinner, make your favorite pasta aioli – with olive oil and garlic – and add lemon zest and black pepper.
- Salads & Marinades – lemon juice and oil, in a ratio of about 1:2, are the basis for vinaigrettes and marinades for meat, poultry, and fish. Simply add your favorite herbs, garlic, chili flakes – whatever suits the main dish.
