Let’s talk about the lovely fruit called lemon today. Why? Well because I’ve just stocked up with about 8 of them and I’ve had people wondering why I seem to buy so many of these organic fruits and ever so often too.
But before that, let’s start off with some ‘nature study’ about this lovely fruit.
Lemons are the aromatic acid citrus fruits of a magnificent tree that can grow to reach 10 to 20 ft (3-6 m) in height which usually has sharp thorns on the twigs.
They have oblong leaves that are reddish when young then turn to become dark-green above and light-green below when mature. The lemon tree also has distinctive lemon flowers. They are mildly fragrant flowers that may grow solitary or in clusters of 2 or more clustered in the leaf axils.
I suppose most would recall these flowers as being little white ones with few petals, but actually, the buds are reddish and the blossomed flowers are white on the upper surface (inside), purplish beneath (outside) with yellow anthers.
Now let’s get back to why I seem to be the crazed lemon loving woman.
Truthfully I don’t end up consuming (ingesting) each and every one of the fruits I buy. Lemons are a pretty pungent so you never need much when used in cooking. Now sometimes I use them for baking, in pasta but the real reason I use so many is because lemons are one of Mother Nature’s special super fruits.
Here are some of the ‘things’ that help me run through lemons so quickly:
- Lemon juice is superb for a simple detox and is perfect to help digestion after a heavy rich meal. I tend to start my day with a glass of watered down lemon juice but be careful to rinse your mouth with water after. Also if you have a sensitive stomach or a history of gastric I’d give this one a skip.
- Lemons are a natural expectorant. If you have congestion or you’re coming down with a cold, a fresh glass of warm lemon juice with a dash of unsweetened honey will do wonders to rid you of the phlegm.
- Lemon juice is acidic. That’s a fact. It’s pretty much the same stuff that they use in most cosmetic products as hydroxy acid. As a home remedy some people would use the juice to clear up freckles or lighten scars, but I use it mixed with sugar as a skin brightener/exfoliant and it does wonders for my skin. Again if you have sensitive skin, you might want to take care because lemon juice can give quite a bite.
- A lemon cut in half and placed into a fridge will keep the unit odour free and have it staying fresh scented.
- Lemon juice can repel pests like ticks and fleas from your pet’s fur. One part juice to an equal part of water dabbed onto the problem spot should do the trick.
- Dried lemon slices makes for lovely potpourri
- Lemon juice is Mother Nature’s gifted cleaning agent. Mixed with vinegar or borax you’ve got yourself an instant kitchen/bathroom/drain/garbage disposal clear!
- I cook, so I’ve got to deal with the scent of onions and garlic that just don’t wash off from my hands. But squeeze over some lemon juice and that problem is all gone. Of course you have to apply lotion after to prevent your skin from drying out.
That’s not an exhaustive list of how we can use those lovely yellow lemons, so feel free to add on to it. But for now, it should explain why I always have lemons in my house.
