The Many Uses of Lemon Juice
When Life Gives You Lemons...
Lemon juice has many different uses and health benefits. Just make sure you don't get any in your eyes. It has been around for thousands of years and we've learned a lot about it in that time period. Let's go over all the ways you can use lemon juice in your home.
Cooking
Marinating Fish and Meat: Lemon juice is a great base for marinating when cooking meat. Whether it be fish, chicken or pork, the acidity of lemon juice helps break down proteins, making tougher cuts of meat more tender. It also adds a bright, tangy flavor that compliments various types of meat.
As A Vinaigrette or Salad Dressing: You can use lemon juice as an ingredient in your homemade salad dressing or vinaigrette to enhance the flavour and add a tangy flavour to it.
Drinks: Is your drink not tasting the way you want it? Try adding a bit of lemon juice to give it that extra kick. Works well in water!
Cleaning
Polish Pots and Pans: To brighten dull aluminum pans, cut a lemon in half and rub the cut side over the inside and outside of the pan. Do not rinse. Buff with a soft cloth.
Remove Stains From Tupperware: We've all been there, you put tomato sauce in a tupperware container one time and it has a red stain forever. Well, not anymore! You can use lemon juice to remove the stains, fill a large container or the sink with boiling water. Squeeze in the juice of two or three lemons, add the dishes and soak for three to four hours. Wash as usual.
Brighten Whites: Lemon juice is a natural bleaching agent that is much less harsh than chlorine bleach. Add one cup of lemon juice to the wash water when washing white clothes to help keep them bright.
Other Home Uses
Air Freshener: Create a natural air freshener by adding several slices of lemon or lemon peels to a saucepan of water. Simmer for about an hour and your home will soon smell fresh.
Shoo Away Insects: Spiders, ants, and fleas are highly sensitive to smell, and they don't like the fragrant lemon. Squirt lemon juice or leave strips of lemon peel on windowsills, door thresholds, and along baseboards to deter these insects from entering.
Recipes
Raspberry Lemon Ice Pops
Summer Heat can be tough to deal with. Luckily, you can make your own popsicles which will cool you down and probably put you in a better mood instantly.
Ingredients:
2½ cups fresh or thawed frozen raspberries (plus their juices)
1 cup water
2 Tablespoons of Lemon Juice
3 tablespoons agave syrup, to taste
Directions:
1. Puree in a blender until smooth. Strain, pressing solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Taste for sweetness.
2. Pour puree into an ice pop tray or mold. Freeze for 4 hours or overnight. Keep frozen.
Greek Lemon Soup
Greek Lemon Soup is simple, light, and nourishing. It’s a soothing perfection to eat on a down day.
Ingredients:
7 cups chicken stock
1 cup orzo pasta
3 eggs
2 Tablespoons of Lemon Juice
Salt and ground black pepper
Lemon slices, to garnish
Directions:
- In a large pot, bring the stock to a boil. Add the orzo and cook for five minutes. Turn off the heat.
- In a medium bowl, beat the eggs until frothy, then add the lemon juice and one tablespoon of cold water. Very slowly stir in a ladleful of the hot chicken stock, then add one or two more. With the heat still off, add the egg mixture to the pot and stir well.
- Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately, garnished with lemon slices and fresh herbs.
Roasted Cauliflower Salad W/Lemon and Capers
Ingredients:
1 medium to large cauliflower
1 cup water
1½ tablespoons olive oil
Lemon Caper Dressing
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons water
- ¼ cup salted capers, rinsed well
- salt to taste
Directions:
- Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees.
- Break the cauliflower into large florets. Place in a single layer in a saute pan and add 1 cup of the water. Sprinkle with salt. Cover and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Steam for 5 minutes or until the florets can just be pierced with a fork. Drain. Set the florets aside on a paper towel to absorb any excess moisture. Break the largest florets into 2-3 pieces (this can be done ahead of time).
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and drizzle with 1½ tablespoons of the olive oil. Place the drained cauliflower onto the prepared baking sheet in a single layer. Turn the florets to coat in the olive oil. Roast in the oven for 10 minutes. Turn the florets over and cook 10 minutes more to brown the other sides. The florets will be soft and covered in brown spots.
- Meanwhile, make the dressing. Put the lemon juice in a large bowl. Gradually beat in the remaining olive oil. If the dressing seems too sharp, beat in the water a teaspoon at a time until desired sharpness is reached. Stir in the capers. Let sit for 5 minutes. Taste for salt. Add the roasted cauliflower and toss to coat. Let sit for 10 minutes for the flavors to blend. Serve at room temperature.
Spicy Baja-Style Shrimp Tacos
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons minced jalapeños, seeded
½ cup chopped cilantro, divided
¼ cup minced garlic
1 lemon, zested and juiced
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 pound shrimp, peeled, deveined and chopped
12 corn tortillas
¼ cup minced red onion
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
- In a large bowl, combine jalapeños, ¼ cup cilantro, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Add shrimp and stir until coated.
- Place a sauté pan over medium heat and add remaining oil. Add shrimp and cook for about 10 minutes, until the shrimp turn pink. Remove from heat.
- In a dry sauté pan over medium low heat, place one tortilla at a time in the pan to heat through.
- Place a portion of shrimp onto each tortilla. Garnish with remaining cilantro and red onion.
Conclusion
Lemon juice is more than just a sour, acidic liquid that hurts really bad if you get it in your eyes. It can be used for cooking in various different ways as well as cleaning or just making your home smell a little nicer. In short, it's always a good idea to have lemon juice in your kitchen for whenever you need it. It's inexpensive, but strong, you don't need much to really see or feel the effects. Make sure you grab a bottle of lemon juice during your next grocery trip!
