Getting The Most Out Of Lemons

During Winter there always seems to be an abundance of lemons on offer.   Lemons are such a versatile fruit with many many uses.  The key is knowing how to process them quickly before they spoil.  Here are the tips I use to guarantee year round lemon abundance.  

*  To get more juice from your lemons roll them over the kitchen bench while pushing down.  This releases the juices inside.  Another tip is to put an uncut lemon in the microwave for 20 seconds.  

*  Freeze them whole.  This is a great tip if you have an abundance of lemons and don't have time to juice them all.  They will defrost a little soft but can still be used. Also great for baking whole lemon cake.

*  Zest them.  Zest can be used in slices,  cakes and muffins as well as savoury dishes.  Zest can also be frozen.  Just make sure you use a glass container to freeze it in as the zest scent is very hard to remove from plastic. 

*  Juice them and keep the juice in the fridge ( for a few days ) to make refreshing drinks.

*  Make lemon butter.  This is a wonderful spread to have on toast and scones.

*  Freeze the juice in icecube trays to keep a good supply all  year round.  Juice can be used on fish,  to make lemon chicken.  soothing drinks for sore throats,  baking and of course - lemon butter 

*  Freeze the zest of both lemons and oranges.  Then juice them and add to a snap lock bag or container to make 50 / 50 cordial in Summer.

*  Clean and freshen chopping boards with a lemon cut in half.

Lemon chicken

Ready for juicing

Lemon butter

Cooking fish in foil.

How do you process an abundance of lemons ?

How do you like to use lemons ?

    

It's Citrus Season

At this time of the year, citrus fruit is in abundance and it's cheap. Here are some ideas to make the most of these fruits and to continue the money savings all year round.

* Eating oranges / mandarins it in the usual way for snacks.

* Cutting up oranges and freezing them for icy cold Summer snacks.

* Making 50 / 50 cordial. To have this yummy cordial all year round, zest and squeeze 3 oranges and 3 lemons per batch of cordial. Place the contents into a container or zip lock bag and freeze.

* Blitz a whole orange in a food processor to make whole orange cake. Blitz a few extra oranges, portion and freeze to make this yummy cake whenever you feel like a baking treat.

* Zest and juice lemons for lemon slice. Zest can be frozen in a container for up to a year. Alternatively freeze the zest in ice cube trays.

* Juice the lemons and freeze into ice cubes Then pop them out into containers for future baking / cooking.

* Use lemon juice to make lemon butter.  This is so yummy on toast and in tarts.  It's very quick and easy to make in the microwave and keeps for up to three weeks in the fridge.

*  Lemon chicken is quick and easy to make using lemon slices,  juice and seasonings.

*  Use the juice of a couple of lemons in jam making.

Other uses for lemon juice are -  lemon and pistachio biscuits, on pancakes, in  chicken flan, on fish and salmon patties or as a dressing on salads.

It's great to have these items on hand in the freezer. It stops the need to run to the supermarket for one lemon. I'll bet it would be out of season and you'd be paying premium prices.

If you haven't thought about it before, growing a lemon tree is great. It looks good, the blossoms and fruit smell divine and a bowl of lemons on the kitchen bench is a little ray of sunshine in the middle of Winter. It can be grown in a pot too. Best of all, you'll get your money back from the cost of a tree in no time.

So if anyone offers you a bag of lemons / oranges, or your neighbour has a tree with too much fruit for them to use, you'll know what to do with it.

Freshly picked lemons

Our tree

Lemon butter

Lemon slice

Whole orange cake

50 / 50 cordial

Lemon chicken

If you click on the purple writing it will  take you to the recipe on my blog.

How do you make the most of citrus fruit ?