Lemon zest: use, benefits and harms. Lemon Peel Recipes

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

People often discuss the benefits of fruit pulp, undeservedly ignoring the lemon zest. But the peel of this citrus representative contains no less useful substances. Zest is used in cooking, alternative medicine and cosmetology, and is even used by housewives for domestic purposes. Read more about the beneficial and harmful properties of the peel, read on. You will also find some interesting recipes in the article.

Lemon zest: benefits and harms

The peel of this sour fruit is a unique product that perfectly copes with the solution of many problems related to medicine and cosmetology. The zest, like the pulp of the fruit, contains a large amount of useful substances:

• enzymes;
• vitamins C, P;
• minerals (potassium, calcium);
• flavonoids;
• fiber;
• polyphenols.

This is just a small part of the rich composition of lemon peel. For example, potassium is an essential element for the stable functioning of the cardiovascular system, while flavonoids andpolyphenols make the zest an ideal component for creating various homemade beauty products. Compositions are made on the basis of lemon peel for the treatment of diseases of the heart and blood vessels, the elimination of bad cholesterol, as well as acne, scurvy and many other pathologies. In addition, essential oil is made from the zest. In addition to cosmetology and alternative medicine, lemon extract is used in aroma lamps. The bewitching smell helps to uplift, relieve stress, relax and reduce the harmful effects of the environment.

Let's take a closer look at the benefits and harms of lemon peel. So, her positive qualities are as follows:

• Deactivation of free radicals that negatively affect human he alth, causing oncological and autoimmune diseases, pathologies in the cardiovascular system.
• Reduce blood cholesterol levels, regulate blood pressure, cleanse blood vessels and, as a result of all this, reduce the risk of stroke.
• Reducing the risk of developing cancer due to the ability of flavonoids to prevent the division of pathologically altered cells.
• Improve the condition of bones and prevent the development of osteoporosis, arthritis, osteoarthritis.
• Increasing the body's defenses, maintaining the immune system.
• Activation of metabolism and stimulation of weight loss.
• Preventing the development of oral diseases and maintaining dental hygiene,mucous membrane, gums.

Lemon zest can be harmful if consumed in large quantities. It is also important to thoroughly wash the fruit before using the peel to remove insecticides, pesticides and other harmful substances used for processing.

Citrus is one of the strongest allergens, so it is not recommended to use the peel for people with such intolerance. When ingesting, it is important not to forget that the zest contains a large amount of acids. Like the pulp, it is undesirable to eat it for people suffering from gastritis with high acidity, or do it in small doses, watching your well-being.

For cosmetic purposes, it is used with caution for dry skin types. Whatever the purpose of using lemon peel, it is advisable to first consult with a local therapist in order to avoid unpleasant consequences in the future.

Getting zest

Many wonder if you can eat lemon zest. If there are no contraindications and restrictions, the peel has been well washed, then there are no prohibitions in terms of use. Just do not forget about the measure! There is even an opinion that if you chew the peel of any citrus fruit a little, you can get rid of nausea.

Getting zest is easy. When the lemon is washed, scalded with boiling water and drained of water with a towel, you can start cleaning. It is proposed to remove the zest in several ways. By the way, do not neglect the advice about boiling water treatment - it will be easier to separate the peelfrom the white bitter layer.

The first way is to “wipe” the zest using a fine grater. Care must be taken to remove only the yellow shell of the fruit. The second option is somewhat better. In this way, it is much easier to remove the zest so as not to catch the white layer. You need to take a sharp knife and remove it with a spiral, and then cut it into small pieces or grate and dry it. And the last, third option is a vegetable cutter.

The zest is dried for 2-3 days, after which it is stored in a tightly closed jar in a dry place until needed. If you want to use it right away, drying is not required.

Use in cooking

The most widely used citrus peel is in this area. How to use lemon peel? It is added to various dishes from poultry, meat, fish, vegetables, fruits, cereals, mushrooms, cottage cheese and so on. It is an excellent addition to hot and cold dishes such as soups, side dishes and salads, as well as desserts and confectionery. Grated and dried peel can be added in small amounts to tea for those who do not like strongly acidic drinks, but love the aroma of this fruit.

Candied fruits and zest jam

Sweets that will be a great snack for tea. For example, to prepare candied fruits, the zest must be cut into thin strips and boiled for 20 minutes to remove bitterness. Then take it out of the water. While the peel is cooling, prepare the sugar syrup. To do this, sugar and water are mixed in a ratio of 2 to 1. When the consistency becomeshomogeneous, add zest. Cook for about half an hour over low heat, stirring occasionally, then transfer the finished candied fruits to a plate and sprinkle with powdered sugar, cinnamon, vanilla sugar or other seasoning.

Jam is prepared in the same way, only at the end you do not need to extract the lemon zest from the syrup. Previously, it is soaked for 2 days in cold water, which needs to be changed every 8-10 hours. Then the peel is boiled for 10 minutes, and at this time the syrup is prepared. Here the calculation is slightly different: for 1 liter of water - 600 g of sugar. This amount of syrup is enough for 200 g of zest. When the pieces of peel are cooked, discard them on a sieve and transfer to syrup. Then cook until thickened, until the zest becomes transparent.

Lemon Skin Cake

Probably one of the most popular goodies made with zest. For cooking, the following products are needed:

• 150 g each of cornmeal, sugar and butter;
• 50g wheat flour;
• 3 eggs;
• zest of 1 lemon;
• 1 teaspoon baking powder;
• juice of 1 lemon, 50 g of sugar and 1-2 tablespoons of rum or cognac - for impregnation.

Soften butter (do not melt!), add sugar and beat. Lay eggs one at a time, beating again each time. Boil the zest to get rid of bitterness, and add to the future dough. Next, pour in the sifted flour of both types and baking powder. Mix well together.

Prepare a cake pan (with lemon zest, the finished delicacy turns out unusuallyfragrant!), cover it with parchment and lay out the mass. Put in the oven and bake for an hour (maybe a little longer) at 180 degrees. While it is in the oven, prepare the impregnation. Add sugar and freshly squeezed lemon juice to the pan, rum or cognac if desired. Put on a slow fire and wait for boiling, stirring constantly. Boil for 2 minutes and remove from heat. Since the mass will harden if it stands for a long time, it is better to cook the impregnation shortly before the cake is ready. The confectionery product is pierced with a fork or skewer over the entire top, and then poured with syrup with a tablespoon. Wait 10 minutes for the cake to soak.

Homemade seasoning for various dishes

Grated lemon zest is an excellent spice for a variety of dishes. It can be added in a "pure" form, as well as prepare various compositions. For example, spice mixture. You need to mix the crushed zest of 4 lemons with a glass of sea s alt and 1/3 cup of pepper. It is advisable to use a mixture, for example "4 peppers", which is sold in any store. All this is mixed and ground in a blender or coffee grinder. Pour into a jar, and the universal seasoning for the first and second, hot and cold dishes is ready.

Pest marinade

You can simply rub the skin on the chicken before putting it in the oven to bake it to get an incredible taste and aroma. Or you can make a marinade. It is great for chicken and turkey. To do this, mix ½a glass of olive oil and ¼ lemon juice. Then send to the mixture 2 crushed garlic cloves and 1 teaspoon each of thyme and rosemary. Lemon zest will require a third of the total volume of a teaspoon. All ingredients are thoroughly mixed until smooth. The marinade is cooled in the refrigerator during the day.

Drinks with zest

Refreshing tea in the summer will help you endure the heat. This drink has antimicrobial, diuretic and laxative properties. To make tea, you need to boil half a liter of water with the zest of one lemon for 15 minutes, and then remove from the stove. Cool to about 40 degrees, add honey, optionally brew a bag of green tea and you can drink.

Even in the recipes you can find an incredibly useful tincture. You will need the zest of three lemons and 150 g of peppermint, which must be finely chopped. Pour all this into a bottle of vodka with a volume of 0.5 liters, close tightly and put it in a dark place. The healing liquid is infused for a week. Shake it around 3-4 times a day. When the time has passed, pour the tincture into another container, using cheesecloth to collect the zest and mint. It is advisable to fold the fabric in 4 layers so that small pieces do not get into the liquid. A few drops of this tincture can be added to drinks or diluted with water.

There are a lot of ways to use and recipes with lemon zest. Probably much more than people know. And if you ask, you can rediscover both the lemon and itszest.