Lemons are by far one of the most used fruits and one of the most beneficial citruses. But, if you don’t enjoy making lemon-aide with fake lemons during the winter, or you are one of those people that constantly runs out of fresh lemons in out of season months, then you might consider freezing them. This sounds a little odd at first, but once you understand how beneficial this is, I think you will begin to understand why this process is so popular.
Benefits of Lemons
Out of ALL the citruses you can eat, lemons are one of the best to choose from.
- First off, they can help prevent kidney stones, by raising citrus levels in the urine. This helps to prevent calcium from building up in the kidneys.
- Secondly, they help in weight loss. In fact, there have been several studies on lemons, and it’s said that they contain a good bit of pectin, this is a soluble fiber that aids in weight loss, which is why you see a lot of healthy eating diets that include lemons.
- They also pack quite a punch of Vitamin C, which helps in keeping you healthy, as well as keeping away colds and coughs.
These are just a few of the reasons to eat lemons. Unfortunately, not everyone has the ability to do this, since lemons are usually in season 2 times a year. Once in late winter to early summer from the coastal region of California, and again in fall and early winter, but this doesn’t mean that everyone can enjoy them fresh!
How to Save Lemons!
Lemons are a really nice fruit to freeze because they stand up to the freezing process. When frozen, you can still use all the parts of the lemon, such as the rind, and the fruit itself. Freezing them is sort of like the commercial grade term flash freezing, but in your residential freezer, it’s done at a slower process. Still works the same way though, and once they are frozen, you can keep them in your freezer for months at a time without them getting pulpy, dry, rotten or bad.
The easiest way to go about this can be found below:
– To freeze whole lemons, all you will need are freezer bags – and a seal compressor (if you have one). Place the lemons in the freezer bag and remove all of the air, by hand or with a machine. To thaw, you can place them in the microwave for a few seconds, put them into cold water for a few minutes, etc. Some people even keep them frozen, and use a grater to grate the entire lemon, even the seeds.
– To freeze lemon zest you will simply place the zest inside a plastic bag, removing all of the air, then plastic wrap or foil – this helps them to not dry out. To unfreeze them, you can simply place them on a dry paper towel and let them get to room temperature.
– To freeze wedges of lemons, you can also use the same procedure as lemon zest!
Resources
hgtvgardens.com
livinthecrunchylife.blogspot.com
whydontyoutrythis.com
