| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| HollyG |
Posted - Feb 14 2011 : 08:31:46 AM
There was a post in another forum about drinking lemon water daily. It listed the benefits and is convincing enough I'm going to give it a try. Now. Being a rather frugal person, what else can I do with the peels? I don't want to compost them all. I'm just starting my bed and don't want to overwhelm it with a lemon or more a day. Is there a way to save the zest or even the peel for recipes? I do have a dehydrator I can employ if I need it. I've only used things fresh and don't know about the shelf life - or preparation process. Any tips will be appreciated!
HollyG
Farmgirl #2513
www.mydeepwoodslife.com |
| 4 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| vintagejenta |
Posted - Feb 23 2011 : 2:20:37 PM
I read a blog post the other day in which the author said she froze lemon wedges and used them for iced tea. But if you're juicing, that won't work.
I would zest the lemons BEFORE you juice them and then dehydrate or freeze the zest.
You could also do strips of zest and freeze them and use them later to make candied lemon peel.
But yes, the key is to zest BEFORE you juice them - it will make salvaging the peels a lot easier.
Using lemon zest when cooking - everything from in hollondaise sauce to on baked chicken to in muffins and cakes gives everything a nice extra touch. Having it on hand is also great because you can throw it into just about anything. Infusing sugar (or salt) with citrus zest is also delicious.
Drying shouldn't harm the zest at all. The European pastry shop I used to work at kept lemon zest and orange zest in the fridge and I know you can buy dried orange peel as a spice. Freezing I don't know.
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http://citygirlcountryfood.wordpress.com |
| eriko |
Posted - Feb 15 2011 : 08:07:27 AM
You could make lemon infused olive oil. If you google that term, you'll come up with a ton of recipes. All are pretty basic - gently heat olive oil, add lemon zest, heat for 10 minutes, strain, bottle and then add MORE lemon zest! It's super yummy for drizzling on top of a salad or fish.
If you drink alcohol, you could also make Limoncello, which is an Italian drink which is a clear alcohol, like vodka or everclear with lemon zest, sugar, etc. I've not made it myself but I have had some that a friend made at home and wow, was that ever good on a hot summer evening! :-) Here's a link to some recipes http://whatscookingamerica.net/Beverage/Limoncello.htm
Infusing the zest in witch hazel that you pick up in the drug store would be fabulous for the coming summer. You could get that good and strong, put it in a spray bottle and store it in the fridge, ready to spritz your face and body in the heat of the summer, after a long day in the garden.
All of these recipes use quite a bit of zest, so that might help you use up the lemon remains.
I have also stored grated lemon zest in the freezer. It's hold up OK but not great. It does lose so much if it's not fresh.
I also dry strips of zest (just on the counter, no dehydrator necessary for this) and store in a canning jar with a lace top, add some spicy spices (think cloves and cinnamon, cardamom and ginger) and Voilą - instant all natural potpourri.
That's all my brain could come up with right now.
Have fun!
Peas,
Eriko |
| nubidane |
Posted - Feb 15 2011 : 06:48:54 AM
They are wonderful for sanitizing your sinks and cutting boards. Just rub the rinds on, let sit a few minutes & wipe off. You can add a little salt to make it slightly abrasive.
Also you can cut up & put in your vinegar bottle to make a lemon scented vinegar for cleaning.
Likewise, add to your hot mop water to clan floors with. |
| Okie Farm Girl |
Posted - Feb 14 2011 : 10:17:45 AM
I buy lemons in bulk and cut them in half, juicing them first and putting the juice in ice cube trays to freeze. Each cube is approx 1 oz. I put the frozen cubes into ziplocs and keep in the freezer for when I need lemon juice. Then, I put the half lemon peel shells that are left after juicing, on a tray and freeze those. I also keep them in a ziploc after they have frozen. That way they don't stick together. When I need zest, I just pull however many out I need (like if the recipe calls for the zest of one lemon, I take out two of the halves) and zest them while still frozen. It makes it soooooo much easier to zest! I usually wear rubber gloves to do it, though, because they get pretty cold! :-)
Mary Beth
www.OklahomaPastryCloth.com
www.Oklahomapastrycloth.com/blog
The Sovereign Lord is my strength - Habakkuk 3:19 |
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