Lemon is the member citrus fruit family and its juice can be very refreshing especially in summers. Although, lemon juice extracts are commonly available but fresh lemon juice is a lot better than these bottled or frozen concentrate, not just in terms of flavor and texture, but also in terms of nutritional value. Citrus fruits (lemons, limes, and oranges) are very high in vitamin C as well as naturally occurring anti oxidants, both of which play a major role in supporting the body’s immune system and preventing diseases. Unfortunately, commercial processing and storage destroys most of the vitamin content leaving the juice with few health benefits.
Freshly squeezed juice on the other hand is very high in nutritional value with vitamin c and anti oxidants. Similarly, eating or drinking just half a fruit worth of citrus juice daily can really boost your health. In fact lemon juice is actually recommended by doctors for drinking when one is working out everyday. It turns out to be very good for our body.
Lemon juice is easy to make at home, especially if you have a clever little gadget like a lemon or citrus juicer. Although it is alright to squeeze one or two fruit by hand, it is quite difficult and can be out of the question for persons with small hands or who have joint pain. With a lemon juicer, anyone can easily squeeze an entire jug full of juice, thanks to the excellent leverage the devices give you. Most hand held citrus juicers basically just consist of two handles, connected by a hinge, and two halves of sieve into which you place you half lemons.
Lemon itself is used in a lot of dishes. Especially when it comes to Thai food, lemon juice is used. It is also used in making pickled lemons. Lemon zest has many uses. Many mixed drinks, soft drinks, iced tea, and water are often served with a wedge or slice of lemon in the glass or on the rim. Lemon alone or with oranges is used to make marmalade. A few dished made with lemon are lemon pie, lemon sole, lemon glazed fruit stick etc.
Not only for cooking, you can also make your own healthy lemonade, a tasty alternative to sugary artificial concentrates. Lemon can be used to make a lot of drinks like lemon martini, meyer lemon juice, many types of cocktails etc.
So have a pleasant summer with lemon juice!
Author: Sarah K writes articles on food and drink for The KM Network’s websites. She has diverse interests and also writes articles on fashion and articles on home and family. This article is the property of The KM Network and prior approval is required for republishing this article.
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