The infinite potential of lemon and its peel
Taking a little inspiration from the grandmother's remedies, a little from the direct experience and finally from the book "Bucce" by Marie Cochard, we discover what can be done with lemon peels, a precious product that absolutely must not end up in the bin of moist, but return to circulation in everyone's homes, turning into precious culinary recipes .
If you use lemon peels you have to be careful to buy only organic and untreated lemons - self-produced ecodetersivi and unsuspected products that require them as a basic ingredient.
So let's see how to reuse them !
Lemon peels in the kitchen
Lemon peels or peel, rich as they are with pectin and vitamin C, are useful for purifying the liver, colon and kidneys. Its active components stimulate the elimination of toxins and create a protective barrier against the negative effects of free radicals.
They can be used in the kitchen as a totally natural flavor enhancer, to enrich risottos or pasta dishes, but also to flavor dishes, vegetables or main courses, chopping them and always keeping them a little aside in an airtight jar .
The winning combination? As you will read in the following recipes, the lemon peels blend perfectly with sage and ginger and become a special ingredient for an oil that will enrich your salads and more.
Sage and lemon risotto
Ingredients for 2 people
> 5 punches of big grain rice;
> 3 leaves of fresh sage leaf of
> 2 pieces of organic lemon peel, without the white part;
> vegetable broth;
> extra virgin olive oil, pepper and if you like grated Parmesan cheese.
Preparation
In a non-stick pan put a couple of tablespoons of oil, light the fire and sauté the rice with the sage and crushed lemon peel. Allow to flavor for a couple of minutes, then add boiling vegetable stock.
Cook and, a couple of minutes before serving, stir in a tablespoon of raw oil, parmesan, pepper and three drops of fresh lemon juice.
Antibacterial and purifying herbal tea
Ingredients
> Organic lemon peel, lemon juice;
> fresh ginger;
> fennel and cumin seeds;
> 2 cloves.
Preparation
In a saucepan, bring half a liter of water to a boil, adding the small pieces of lemon zest, a couple of pieces of ginger, some fennel and cumin seeds, the cloves. Let it simmer for about 7/10 minutes. Strain and consume with honey and a few drops of fresh lemon.
Lemon flavored oil
Ingredients
> 2 lemons;
> 1 bottle of extra virgin olive oil.
Preparation
Remove the lemon rind, avoiding the white part; put them in the bottle of olive oil and leave to soak a few days before using. You will have a completely natural lemon oil.
Lemon peels for home hygiene
At home, the lemon is essential to perfume, disinfect and aromatize the air in a natural way . The strong smell of lemon peel and essential oil contained in them is ideal as a natural deodorant; just boil the skins in water for a few minutes with other ingredients such as fresh rosemary or vanilla extract to give your rooms a natural perfume spray with a unique scent .
Lemon peel is also perfect for perfuming the refrigerator and for degreasing and making dishes shine when washing dishes but also in the dishwasher.
A multipurpose spray, home-made, effective and cheap, to make the house shine with white vinegar and lemon peel left to macerate for at least three weeks.
Lemon peels for the skin
Our grandmothers used to massage it with lemon juice to make their skin more white and pure, especially the one ruined by their hands.
The lemon peel, if finely grated and then put together with baking soda and softened with water, can become a natural whitener for teeth; or it can be used, always together with baking soda and water, to massage elbows, heels and knees in the shower, thus eliminating dark spots or dead cells.
Equally it can be combined with sugar and cucumber juice to offer a gentle peeling to the skin of the face. A relaxing and invigorating bath? Obviously combining 4 or 5 lemon peels in the tub! keep available in a mini jar of peelings every time you feel bad breath, their perfuming action is activated by chewing them.
The important thing is to avoid exposing yourself to the sun immediately after performing the lemon peel treatments .
Lemon peel, natural repellent
Do you have ants roaming freely in the kitchen? Do not despair and do not rush to buy the first chemical thing in the supermarket.
Try to cut the lemon rind and put it on the window sill or in the interstices of gratings and French windows. Unwanted animals will make a retro front! To enhance the effect you can add drops of lemon essential oil.
