Leftover lemons are lovely!
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A lot of people we know have been giving us excess lemons off their backyard trees. I love this as I like to drink lemon water and I use lemons to clean. Here are some other uses for the humble lemon:
Recipes
Make your own Limoncello! By Dot via Craftzine
Perfect Lemonade Recipe by Simply Recipes
Ingredients
- 1 cup water (for the simple syrup)
- 1 cup lemon juice in 3 to 4 cups of cold water (to dilute)
- 1 cup sugar (can reduce to 3/4 cup)
Method
- Make simple syrup by heating the sugar and water in a small saucepan until the sugar is dissolved completely
- While the sugar is dissolving, use a juicer to extract the juice from 4 to 6 lemons or enough for one cup of juice.
- Add the juice and the sugar water to a pitcher. Add 3 to 4 cups of cold water, more or less to the desired strength.
- Refrigerate 30 to 40 minutes. If the lemonade is a little sweet for your taste, add a little more straight lemon juice to it.
Microwaved Lemon Curd
Ingredients
- the juice and finely grated rind of 4 large lemons
- 185g unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- 3/4 cup (185g) caster sugar
- 4 large fresh eggs, well beaten
Preparation method
- Put 2 clean jars to warm in a slow oven while you make the curd.
- Put the lemon juice and rind in a medium microwave-able bowl. Stir in the sugar and butter, cut into small pieces.
- Microwave, stirring often, until the butter and sugar are melted but the liquid is not too hot-about 60 seconds.
- Whiskin the eggs vigorously in a thin, steady stream until very well combined. Give the whole a quick whisk. Microwave on full for 2 minutes without opening the door. Remove and whisk very well. Allow to stand for 1 minute.
- Microwave on full for another 1 minute.
- Spoon into the warmed jars. Allow to go completely cold before sealing.
Cleaning
Countertop stains can be removed by allowing lemon juice to sit on the stain for a few minutes. Scrub the area with baking soda and watch the stains disappear. Don't leave the lemon juice sitting for too long. It can be powerful stuff.
Since lemon juice is highly antibacterial and antiseptic, it can help treat acne. Mix 2 teaspoons fresh-squeezed lemon juice with 1/2 teaspoon rose water. Soak a cotton ball in the mixture and lightly sweep over face (not for sensitive skin). Leave on overnight and wash off in the morning.
Inesect Repellant
Lemon rind : Most citrus fruits are effective insect repellents. Place rinds on a cookie sheet, and dry in an oven heated to 150 degrees for three hours. Gather a cupful of dried rinds into a large piece of cheesecloth, tie with a string, and hang in closets or storage spaces to keep out moths.
