Aug 29th is Lemon Juice Day so it seems the perfect time to reflect on the usefulness of this sunniest of citrus. Is there anything in the kitchen as useful as lemon juice? It’s a must for cooking – adding tons of flavor to so many dishes but it’s also great for cleaning and staying healthy.
First, a few of my favorite cooks tricks featuring lemon juice:
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- How to get more juice from your lemon? I’ve seen some suggestions about sticking it in the microwave but seems a lot quicker and easier to just roll it along the counter for a minute. That’s what I do (for limes as well) and it works a treat for me.
- Include a dash or two of lemon juice when cooking rice in water and it will keep your rice from getting sticky. This is apparently a given among cooks in India who, as you might guess, use a ton of rice so who better to take guidance from.
- Find out too late that you’re out of sour cream and the shops are closed? Never fear! Lemon juice is here! Add a little lemon juice to whipped cream and after it sits for 30 minutes, you have your sour cream substitute. No muss. No fuss.
- Another stellar substitute lemon juice makes possible? Buttermilk! I’ve mentioned this one before. if you don’t have 1 cup of buttermilk, you can try this substitute: milk (just under one cup) with a tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice in it. Just remember to put the milk into the vinegar or lemon juice, not the other way around and then let it sit for at least 5 minutes.
But lemon juice is more than a versatile tool in the cooks toolbox. It’s also a great addition to the cleaning cupboard and a must for the home remedy shelf.
- Fridge Freshener: Sure, we all leave baking soda in the fridge to keep things fresh but even baking soda has its limits. Every now and again, you find yourself examining the contents of your fridge and discovering a bunch of stuff that should have been tossed ages ago. Purge it, then dampen a few cotton balls with lemon juice and leave them fridge for a few hours. Toss the lemony balls, break open a new box of baking soda and you’re good to go.
- Laundry Booster: Has your favorite white t-shirt gone less than white around the underarms? Rub the area with equal parts water and lemon juice and let it sit a while before tossing in with the rest of your white wash.
- Run out of furniture polish or just want to go a bit more natural with small kids/pets underfoot? Combine (I put it all in a small jar and shake vigorously) the juice of one medium sized squeezed lemon, a tablespoon of olive oil and a tablespoon of water. Presto! A lovely shine and a fresh lemony scent (actual lemons, not that nasty synthetic stuff). Obviously scale up amounts for as much polish as you need. The other reason I like using this is I don’t have to store cans of polish.
- And healthy? My goodness, I’d never make it through winter without lemon juice. Mixed with hot water and honey, it soothes sore throats and when inhaled, also helps me with sinuses (which plague me every year). Also, while I’m not usually bothered by mosquitoes I have family that is CONSTANTLY being bitten and a combo of lemon juice and cornstarch can help soothe the sting. At least enough to prevent scratching making it worse.
So Lemon Juice Day isn’t just a culinary celebration. It’s a culinary, cleaning and clinical one as well. Happy Lemon Juice Day, everyone.