22 food and non-food uses of lemon (including zest)

Nothing is thrown away from the lemon: both the juice and the zest can be very useful in our daily life, meeting the most diverse needs, not exclusively food. Thanks to its antibacterial and detergent properties, in fact, lemon is an excellent ally both in house cleaning and in personal care, as well as having a fresh and unmistakable taste that also makes it a recurring ingredient in both sweet and savory recipes.

He is about to end up run over, his mother saves him

Nothing is thrown away from the lemon: both the juice and the zest can be very useful in our daily life, meeting the most diverse needs, not exclusively food. Thanks to his antibacterial and detergent properties, in fact, lemon is an excellent ally both in house cleaning and in personal care, as well as having a fresh and unmistakable taste that also makes it a recurring ingredient in recipes both sweet and savory.

Here then 22 more or less common uses of lemon:

Index

Degrease the washable kitchen surfaces

While you were cooking, you dirty the worktop with oil and various and possible food residues? Cut a lemon in half, sprinkle some salt on its surface and then rub it on the shelves to be degreased, insisting in particular on the spots. Let it act for a few minutes and then dry with a cotton cloth.

Be careful not to use the lemon on marble surfaces or other materials sensitive to acid substances: you could damage them!

Wash and degrease the dishes

Before proceeding with washing the dishes, you can rub half a lemon on their surface, in order to degrease them. Also, you can use lemon as an ingredient for a dishwashing liquid do-it-yourself, 100% natural.

Here is a simple recipe with few ingredients: take 3 lemons and cut them into coarse pieces, removing the seeds but keeping the peel; then blend them with a glass of water e 2 tablespoons of salt; pour the mixture into a saucepan, add others 2 glasses of water e a glass of vinegar and bring everything to a boil, then stirring for ten minutes. Let it cool and put your detergent in a container of glass to use it when needed.

Clean the coffee maker and teapot

Un mix of water and lemon it is perfect for cleaning teapots and coffee pots, of which it maintains hygiene without compromising their efficiency and without leaving residues that could affect the flavor of our favorite drinks.

Clean and deodorize the microwave

Take a glass cup, fill it in equal parts of water and lemon juice and add a teaspoon of vinegar, then put it in the microwave, making it go to the maximum temperatures for 4 or 5 minutes. Remove the glass (taking care not to burn yourself hands!!!) and dry the inside of the forno with a cotton cloth: the steam will have dissolved any encrustations, making it easier to remove.

Fighting bad smells in the kitchen

La lemon peel it is perfect for eliminating bad smells, especially if you have burned something in the kitchen and the air impregnated with smoke. Then take the cut zest of a lemon and carefully burn it in a container metal (taking care not to hang a fire and not to burn yourself).

Clean and shine copper, brass, aluminum and metal surfaces

Lemon is perfect for cleaning metal surfaces as well fight rust and limescale: for this, rub half of a lemon on the surface to be cleaned and made to shine, and then dry it with a cotton cloth.

Keep insects away

The acidity of the lemon keeps some insects away. For this reason, a good solution to avoid "intrusions" is to keep some slices of lemon zest close to windows, doors or small holes in the walls of the house. Also, periodically wash the floor with a mix of water, vinegar and lemon it will keep you from annoying invasions of ants.

Clean the cutting boards

Thanks to his antibacterial properties, the lemon is indicated for cleaning and refreshing the cutting board after slicing the vegetables: for this, pass half of it on the surface, insisting on any stains, and let it act for a few seconds. Then proceed with a normal wash and dry with a towel.

Eliminate the smell of garlic, onion and fish from your hands

You have spent a few hours cooking and cannot manage to remove odors from your hands? No fear! Rub them well with half of a lemon, then rinse and dry them with a towel.

Soften the dry skin of the elbows

Is the skin on your elbows dry and prone to flaking? Try this remedy: cover the surface of half a lemon with baking soda sodium and then hold it on each elbow for a few minutes, before rinsing and drying.

Tone the skin of the face

After removing your make-up, dip a cotton swab in lemon juice and dab your face well (paying attention to do not irritate the eyes!). Alternatively, you can rub the lemon peel directly on your face, then rinse.

Making a skin scrub

Lemon is among the most common ingredients of different types of DIY body scrub. Among the possible recipes, here is one: cut the lemon zest into very thin strips and mix them with half a cup of XNUMX/XNUMX cup sugar cane, then emulsifying with someolive oil. The result is a paste with which you will gently massage your wet skin, and then rinse thoroughly.

Eliminate pimples

Have you woken up and discovered that a pimple is aesthetically appearing on your face? Pour a few drops of lemon juice on a cotton swab and then apply it on the pimple for a few minutes: the acidity of the lemon should dry it out, helping you to get rid of it more quickly.

Whiten your teeth

Il lemon helps fight the yellow spots caused by smoke e coffee, even if, due to its acidity, it should not be used too frequently. Once a month, pour lemon juice into a small glass, preferably adding a spoonful of baking soda, then soak it brush and rub it on your teeth for a few minutes. Your smile will shine.

Lighten and polish i hair

The lemon gives shine to the hair, enhances its reflections and, thanks to its astringent properties, helps to rebalance the production of sebum. Therefore, it is recommended for oily hair and not for dry hair. After washing your hair normally, pour the juice of two on your head lemons, gently massage the scalp and then rinse.

Make lemon candied fruit

As happens for the oranges, it is possible to candied the lemon zest and then use it as decoration or as ingredient of different sweet recipes. The procedure is not very simple (the peels must be boiled several times in plain water before being boiled several times and on consecutive days in water and sugar), but if you love the taste of lemon and like to test yourself in the kitchen, it can be a great pastime!

Flavor and decorate cocktails

Cut your lemon in very thin slices and use them to make yours even more enjoyable beverages, from cocktails to still or sparkling water.

Make the sponge cake rise better

If you are preparing one cake, know that adding a few drops of lemon to the sponge cake mixture favors one uniform and optimal leavening.

Prepare a lemon powder

Cut the lemon zest into thin strips, removing the white part, and let them dry for about 4 days. Then pulverize them in a mixer or in one grinder: the powder obtained can be used to flavor sugar or as a component of tasty and original recipes.

Cook the better rice

A trick to cook the rice in an optimal way, avoiding it sticking to the pot and "whitening it", consists in adding a few drops of lemon juice to the boiling water.

Do thicken the jams

A few teaspoons of lemon juice added during preparation helps to thicken the jams, while preserving the natural color of the fruit.

Prepare perfect hard-boiled eggs

How many times the egg shell broke while you boiled them? Well, rubbing the shell with half a lemon before cooking it not only makes it resist boiling better but also makes it easier to remove it later.

Warning

When possible, always prefer home grown or organic lemons and, in any case, wash them well before using them (especially if you intend to use the peel), in order to eliminate any residual wax or other substances.

Lisa Vagnozzi

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