When life hands you lemons, put them in the freezer. That way you can easily grate them up later for a powerful, and tasty, health kick. The health benefits of lemons are mostly found in the skin and peel of the tangy little citrus fruits. I had no idea..
These are often lost when people eat them because only the juice and pulp get used and consumed. The skin and peel is almost always tossed or left aside because it tastes gross on its own. However, when you use every part of a lemon, skin and all, you can get between 5 and 10 times more the amount of vitamins and other health benefits out of them.
Lemons are a great source of vitamin C, as well as vitamins B6, A, and E, plus folate, calcium, copper, iron, zinc, magnesium, potassium, protein, riboflavin, niacin thiamin, and phosphorus. The yellow fruits also contain flavonoids and limonoids, which are powerful antioxidants with natural cancer fighting and prevention properties. Lemons have also been shown to help prevent diabetes, control high blood pressure, relieve indigestion and constipation, alleviate fevers, and reduce weight.
The citric acid in them helps to fight germs and bacteria and many people use them to clean and brighten their skin. When you eat a lemon you’re feeding your body so much more than just citrus juice and great flavor, but to truly gain all the health benefits from them you have to eat the entire fruit.
It follows that, in order to get all the health benefits out of a lemon, it works best to freeze it before using. First wash and clean the lemon well, then dry it off completely before sealing it in a resealable freezer bag, and place it in the freezer until it’s frozen solid. The simple reason why you should freeze it is because when a lemon is hard and solid it makes it much easier to grate.
You want to grate it, rather than slice or squeeze it, because a majority of the health benefits are found in the peel and skin. Most people use only the juice and pulp when they go to eat or cook with a lemon. Thus, by grating it you end up using the entire fruit and gain the most health benefits from it.
Once your lemon is frozen solid take it out of the freezer and cut off one of the ends to it is flat. Then begin begin grating it with the flat side against the grater, like you would a block of cheese. This makes it easier to hold steady and cuts down on the risk of it slipping while you’re shredding it up.
When you’re done, store the lemon gratings in a resealable container or use them to flavor dishes with. They won’t be overpowering when you add them to other food dishes. Instead, the lemony shreds compliment and bring out the other flavors and what you get is a very unique type of flavoring that differs from that of squeezing plain lemon juice on food.
Your mind, body, and palette will thank you, so spread this healthy tip and enjoy!
Please Share This With Family and Friends
