Lemon
The tree's ellipsoidal yellow fruit is used for culinary and non-culinary purposes throughout the world, primarily for its juice, which has both culinary and cleaning uses.[1] The pulp and rind (zest) are also used in cooking and baking. The juice of the lemon is about 5% to 6% citric acid, which gives a sour taste. The distinctive sour taste of lemon juice makes it a key ingredient in drinks and foods such as lemonade and lemon meringue pie
History
See also: Citron § Origin & distribution
Though the History of the Lemon is quite an interesting and important part of the fruit itself,I have decided
to leave it for another occasion.Sorry if you find this a bit sour in your mouth,but please understand,I have
my reasons,and please have a sweetener if the sourness persist.Now that we have that out of the equator,
we can continue with the urgent matter of the goodness of our sour friend.
Lemon external surface and cross-sectionVarieties
Detailed taxonomic illustration by Franz Eugen Köhler.
The 'Bonnie Brae' is oblong, smooth, thin-skinned, and seedless;[5] mostly grown inSan Diego County.[6]
The 'Eureka' grows year-round and abundantly. This is the common supermarket lemon,[7] also known as 'Four Seasons' (Quatre Saisons) because of its ability to produce fruit and flowers together throughout the year. This variety is also available as a plant to domestic customers.[8] There is also a pink-fleshed Eureka lemon, which's outer skin is variegated from green and yellow stripes.[9]
The 'Femminello St. Teresa', or 'Sorrento'[10] is native to Italy. This fruit's zest is high in lemon oils. It is the variety traditionally used in the making of limoncello.
The 'Meyer' is a cross between a lemon and possibly an orange or a mandarin, and was named after Frank N. Meyer, who first discovered it in 1908. Thin-skinned and slightly less acidic than the Lisbon and Eureka lemons, Meyer lemons require more care when shipping and are not widely grown on a commercial basis. Meyer lemons have a much thinner rind, and often mature to a yellow-orange color. They are slightly more frost-tolerant than other lemons.
The 'Ponderosa' is more cold-sensitive than true lemons; the fruit are thick-skinned and very large. It is likely a citron-lemon hybrid.
The 'Yen Ben' is an Australasian cultivar.[11]
Culinary uses
Lemon juice, rind, and zest are used in a wide variety of foods and drinks. Lemon juice is used to make lemonade, soft drinks, and cocktails. It is used in marinades for fish, where its acid neutralizes amines in fish by converting them into non volatile ammonium salts, and meat, where the acid partially hydrolyzes tough collagen fibers, tenderizing the meat, but the low pH denatures the proteins, causing them to dry out when cooked. Lemon juice is frequently used in the United Kingdom to add to pancakes, especially on Shrove Tuesday.
Lemon juice is also used as a short-term preservative on certain foods that tend to oxidize and turn brown after being sliced (enzymatic browning), such as apples, bananas, and avocados, where its acid denatures the enzymes.
Lemon juice and rind are used to make marmalade, lemon curd and lemon liqueur. Lemon slices and lemon rind are used as a garnish for food and drinks. Lemon zest, the grated outer rind of the fruit, is used to add flavor to baked goods, puddings, rice, and other dishes.
The leaves of the lemon tree are used to make a tea and for preparing cooked meats and sea foods.
Other uses
Industrial
Lemons were the primary commercial source of citric acid before the development of fermentation-based processes.[12]
As a cleaning agent
The juice of the lemon may be used for cleaning. A halved lemon dipped in salt or baking powder is used to brighten copper cookware. The acid dissolves the tarnish and the abrasives assist the cleaning. As a sanitary kitchen deodorizer the juice can deodorize, remove grease, bleach stains, and disinfect; when mixed with baking soda, it removes stains from plastic food storage containers.[13] The oil of the lemon's peel also has various uses. It is used as a wood cleaner and polish, where its solvent property is employed to dissolve old wax, fingerprints, and grime. Lemon oil and orange oil are also used as a nontoxic insecticide treatment.
5 ways with lemon
There's so much to this fragrant citrus fruit than lemonade.
1)Whitens and remove stains from a plastic chopping board by rubbing with halve a lemon before rinsing with water.
2)Substitute bleach by adding half a cup of fresh lemon juice to your washing cycle to lighten and brighten whites.
3)Remove soap scum and mineral deposits on taps by covering for a few hours with paper towel soaked in lemon juice.
4)Purge fish,cabbage or broccoli odours from the kitchen by adding lemon slices and a few cloves in a simmering pot of
water,and boil for about 15 minutes.Decant cooled water into a spray bottle to use as a natural air freshener later.
5)Make your own eco-friendly furniture polish by mixing two parts of olive oil with one part of lemon juice.
A halved lemon is used as a finger moistener for those counting large amounts of bills, such as tellers and cashiers.
Medicinal
Lemon oil may be used in aromatherapy. Lemon oil aroma does not influence the human immune system, but may enhance mood.[14] The low pH of juice makes it antibacterial, and in India, the lemon is used in Indian traditional medicines (Siddha medicine and Ayurveda).[citation needed]
Other
One educational science experiment involves attaching electrodes to a lemon and using it as a battery to produce electricity. Although very low power, several lemon batteries can power a small digital watch.[15] These experiments also work with other fruits and vegetables.
Lemon juice may be used as a simple invisible ink, developed by heat.
KITCHEN HELPERS
Flower
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