7 Simple Tips for Using Lemons in the Kitchen
It doesn’t take a trained chef to add a little zest to your regular meals. I’ve found that using fresh lemons in the kitchen has helped me to create healthier meals with more flavor for my family. Here are 7 simple tips for using lemons:
- Skip the salt and use lemon instead – Adding lemon to dishes, like this Lemon Roasted Salmon recipe, in place of salt will give you all the flavor you want without the added sodium. You can also visit Sunkist’s S’alternative website for more information and tips on replacing salt with lemons.
- Snag Meyer lemons when they’re in season – Because of their sweeter flavor, using Meyer lemons for sweet treats or drinks, like our Very Berry Peach Lemonade, allows you to use less sugar.
- Don’t forget the zest – Most of the flavor from citrus comes from the rind so add zest along with juice to your recipes for even more flavor. When zesting, make sure to stop at the white pith as it can be very bitter.
- Proper buying and storage – Look for fruit that has brightly colored skin, no tinge of green and is generally heavy for its size. Refrigerate in a plastic bag for 2 – 3 weeks or keep at room temperature for up to a week.
- Lighten up your Italian dishes – A popular ingredient in many Mediterranean dishes, lemon is also great for lightening up some of your other favorites.
- Decorate with lemons – Adding lemons to a vase of flowers or just keeping a bowl on your kitchen counter will brighten up the room while giving off a wonderful, sweet fragrance.
- Eliminate odors – Use lemons to scrub the smell of garlic off your fingers or throw your used lemon peels down the garbage disposal to keep it smelling fresh.
Do you use lemons in your kitchen? Comment below and tell us how!
Thanks for the tip, Kelsey! Aren’t lemons so useful?
If you have wooden cutting boards a great way to sanitize them is to cut a lemon in half, pour salt on the board, and rub the board with the exposed lemon pulp while squeezing to work the salt and juice into the board.