Lovely Lemons Prepping Outside the Ordinary Written by: Samara Do you want something useful, beautiful, and delicious all in one? Then you should really think about growing a lemon tree. If you think citrus fruits are too exotic, or you live too far north to be successful – think again. Lemons are not only delicious, they also serve a whole multitude of household and medicinal purposes. As a bonus, they are a lovely and fragrant plant that will brighten up your space. Cooking with Lemon In my early twenties I worked for a while at a Greek restaurant where I first feel in love with using lemon in the kitchen. Greek food uses lemon in everything. They know that it enhances flavor and freshness, among other things: • Keeps produce like bananas, apples, and potatoes from turning brown once cut • It helps meat become tender and moist (try it the next time you bake chicken!) • Use it to curdle milk into buttermilk for yummy baked goods • Scrape off the “zest” (the yellow part of the peel) for a flavor burst in baked goods, jellies, and jams • Use instead of vinegar to make salad dressings and marinades Lemons as Medicine While lemons make a great food (just like other citrus, they are high in vitamin C among other things), they may make an even better medicine: • Mix with honey for a great cough syrup, or with honey and water and heat into a tea for relief of cold symptoms • Gargle lemon juice to relieve sore throat or canker sores • A little lemon in your water not only helps it taste good, but may aid in digestion and relieve constipation • Mixed with olive oil as a drink it may help get rid of gall stones • Lemon juice applied to the skin can help prevent or decrease an acne breakout • Many cultures see lemon as a purifier that can help your whole body get rid of toxins Household Uses for Lemons But if you weren’t sold on the idea of growing your own lemon tree yet, there is a multitude of ways to use lemons for cleaning and personal care too: • Naturally ease dandruff and other scalp problems, as well as giving your hair a boost in appearance by using lemon juice • Put lemon peels in your fire to add a beautiful fragrance to the air • Rub a lemon rind over your faucets and sinks to shine them up and clean without chemicals • Sanitize your cutting board, counter top, or other surface with a good rub of half a lemon, or spritz it with lemon juice and rinse • Convince creepy crawly pests to stay out by spraying a little lemon juice on the windowsills or door frames where they are coming into the house • Remove stains from your clothes when regular bleach may be too harsh by mixing lemon juice and baking soda and letting your clothes soak, or just throw a half cup of juice in with the wash to brighten the whole load up • Use regular household salt and lemon juice to effectively clean up a grease spill (be careful of surfaces that may be damaged by the acidity though) How to Grow Your Own Lemon Tree So, you are convinced that a lemon tree at home would be amazing – but don’t think you can grow one in your climate? Think again! Lemons are surprisingly hardy (especially when you get one such as the Meyer lemon tree), and with a little extra effort can be grown almost anywhere. Lemon trees need well-drained soil, warmth, and sun to be successful. If you live in an area that gets below 55 degrees Fahrenheit at any time, you will want to grow a potted plant that you can bring inside during the cooler months. The more sun the plant gets, the more it will produce, so think about getting a lamp designed for growing plants if you have it indoors during winter – and place near a south-facing window if at all possible. Keeping it inside all the time might seem easier than moving it in and out every few months, but know that lemon trees do need to be pollinated in order to grow lemons, so having it outside even for a little while during the year allows bees and other insects to get at the flowers and do their job. And of course, a greenhouse would do nicely as well. If you start your lemon from seeds, it will take at least two to three years before it starts producing any fruit, so it may be well worth the extra money to get an established plant. You can purchase these from several sources online for under $100, and it will pay for itself quickly. Plus, the next time you feel like life has handed you lemons, you will be able to make the best lemonade ever!
Posted on: Wed, 02 Oct 2013 00:52:27 +0000
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