Buying lemons at the grocery stores cheers me up, not only because lemons smell fantastic but also because they are nutritious food and great cleaning agents! I can't wait to share my tips on how to make life more fun with lemons!
Here is the list of what I do with lemon:
Lemon Skin
- Bake with lemon zest and juice
It is a well-known tip that adding some zest, or the grated citric fruits, to the recipe would add more favors and cleanliness to your palates. The lemon oil would emit during the baking process to add extra fragrance to the baked goods. In addition, lemon would make the cakes more puffy because the lemon (the acid) and baking powder (the base) will interact to generate carbon dioxide gas.
Grate a teaspoon of zest from the lemon skin and then add it to the other ingredients. Avoid the white parts of the skin because they taste bitter.
Lemon Juice
- Substitute salt with lemon juice
Because of her high blood pressure, my grandmother was extra careful with salt. She often added none when she cooked and used vinegar instead. The dishes still tasted very delicious, and my grandmother lived to 87 as a healthy senior.
Substituting the salt with lemon juice does the same trick, too. In addition, its helps the food taste cleaner because it eliminates the greasiness in the food. I often drop lemon juices on fried food, seafood, and chicken to eliminate the oil odor. Of course, Raman and pasta somehow tastes more yummy when you add some lemon juice before servicing.
In addition, studies have shown eating lemons improve your digestive and immune systems because they are full of vitamin C, B, riboflavin, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, and protein.
- Soften the meat with lemon juice
You can also soften the meat by marinating it with lemon juice for at least an hour or preferably overnight. Lemon juice is more natural and smells better than the chemical softening agent.
- Add drops of lemon juice to make your omelette puffy and tasty
Lemon juice makes your omelette tastes better because it eliminates the odor from the eggs and expands the proteins further. Add some drops of lemons juice after mixing the eggs and other ingredients before frying the omelette with low temperature (cooking the omelette with a high heat would fry the egg proteins, which would make the omelette tougher to eat).
- Lemon facial
You can save lots of money by making lemon facial yourself! Lemons can mitigate skin problems because they are natural antiseptics and the vitamin C they contain rejuvenates the skin and fights against early aging.
After shower, you can mix some lemon juice with honey and then apply the mixture on the face. Let the facial stays on your skin for 20-30 minutes and wash the facial off with warm water. You will be surprised how silky your skin becomes!
- Ease your stomach with some warm lemon water
The lemon juices will prompt your liver to generate more bile, an important solvent in your digestive system. Drop some lemon juice into a cup of warm water if you feel nauseous, heartburn, or gassy.
“Studies have shown eating lemons improve your digestive and immune systems because they are full of vitamin C, B, riboflavin, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, and protein.”
- Lemon is a safe, fragrant cleaning agent
The citric acid inside the lemons acts as a natural bleaching agent. It can remove grease and stains when it is mixed with white vinegar, baking soda, and hot water. The d-limonene is commonly found in citrus oils. It can easily remove pesticides on the surface of fruits and vegetables and degrease stubborn stains on the counter and floor. Note: d-limonene is one type of monoterpenes, a chemical that has antibacterial activity. It is especially helpful to children and seniors that have weaker immune systems.
I found a cool recipe in AIMEE's blog. Click to check out how she made her natural lemon-scented cleaner.
The Whole Lemon Body
- Decorate your kitchen or home with a bowl of lemons
Even Ina Garten would use a bowl of lemons to decorate her party table! Lemons are one of the cutest fruits that would make your kitchen look cozy and smell great! In addition, the oil these lemons emits enhances your immune system. Put several lemons in a cute wooden bowl and place it on the kitchen counter. You will be less stressed when you walk to the kitchen next time.
The Leftover Lemon Body
- Deodorize your fridge with the leftover lemons
Don't throw away the lemon after you squeeze all of its juice! Simply put it inside a small glass container and place the container inside the refrigerator. You will be surprised how much the fridge odor disappears after a few hours.
- Your romantic lemon-scented bath
Nothing can relax you more than soaking in a warm, sweet-scented bath, after a long, stressful day. You can easily make one by tossing the leftover lemons into the water and some salt into the hot water.