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See how to reuse lemon peel to make juice, cake and 18 other uses

Edited and resized okeykat image is available on Unsplash

Unpeeled lemon juice and unpeeled lemon cake are some things you can do when life gives you lemons. And there are good reasons to use lemons: having a glass of lemon juice in the morning can have several benefits, such as restoring your potassium levels, and using the leftover lemon rind is a way to avoid waste.

• Lemon Benefits: From Health to Cleanliness

Lemon juice has citric acid in a concentration of approximately 5%, much more than other citrus fruits such as oranges and tangerines. Its high citric acid content confers bactericidal and antibiotic power. Among its uses in the food industry, citric acid also works as a natural preservative, helping to prevent the growth of bacteria and fungi. From the lemon rind, an aromatic oil is extracted (very used in perfumery and cooking) that has several advantages. Among them, the possibility of its use to improve mood stands out.

Brazil is one of the biggest lemon producers in the world, so you can imagine how much lemon rind is being thrown out there and that it could have a nice use before the end of its cycle. After using the lemons, there is usually enough juice in the skins to be used for small chores around the house.

Give preference to organic and locally produced foods, so you avoid pesticides and unnecessary emissions of greenhouse gases. Here are some useful uses for lemon rind , as a cake recipe and lemon juice with rind , but not only :

1. Unpeeled lemon juice

Randy Fath's edited and resized image is available on Unsplash

Ingredients

• 1 Tahiti lemon;
• 350 ml of filtered water;
• 10 ice cubes;
• 1 tablespoon of demerara sugar (optional).

Method of preparation

• Wash the lemon well;
• Remove the tips of the lemon, cut it in half and remove the white parts and seeds;
• Take it to a blender and blend with the water only in pulse mode;
• Strain and place in a blender again, with ice and sugar, and beat until frothy;
• Serve.

2. Lemon cake with rind

Edited and resized image of Charles is available on Unsplash

dough ingredients

• 1 and 1/2 teacups of brown rice flour
• 3 tablespoons of potato starch
• 4 tablespoons of vegetable oil
• 1 lemon squeezed
• 90 ml of water
• 1 cup of fresh sugar tea
• 2 tablespoons of baking powder
• lemon zest

Topping ingredients

• 4 tablespoons of fresh sugar
• 4 tablespoons of lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons of water

Method of preparing the dough

1. Mix the sugar and oil, then gradually add the flour, zest and lemon juice;
2. Beat well for five minutes;
3. Turn off the mixer and add the yeast;
4. Place in a pan greased with vegetable oil and put in a preheated oven at 180° for 35 to 45 minutes;
5. Let cool.

Cover preparation method

1. Mix sugar, lemon juice and two tablespoons of water in a saucepan;
2. Cook for two minutes, or until you get a thin syrup;
3. Remove from heat and pour over cake.

3. Clean greasy surfaces

Have you noticed that most degreasing cleaning products have lemon in their composition? Lemon is a natural degreaser, so use it and abuse it to clean greasy pans, stoves and kitchen counters. Not using chemical cleaning products saves money and is an attitude ecofriendly. After all, conventional cleaning products are bad for health and the environment. Understand this theme better in the articles:

• Cleaning with chemicals is as harmful as smoking 20 cigarettes
• Know the main substances that should be avoided in cosmetics and hygiene products
• Researcher lists risk of possible damage from cleaning products

We must be even more attentive to the use of these products in the kitchen, because if you do not properly remove these residues from pans and dishes, you can end up ingesting toxic elements. To use the lemon cleaning method is very simple, sprinkle a little salt on half of a used lemon, rub in the greasy areas and then clean with a towel or paper towel (be careful when using lemon on marble or any other countertops surface that may be sensitive to acid).

4. Lemon peel when cleaning the kettle or coffee maker

To clean your kettle of dirt build-up, fill it with water, add a handful of thinly sliced ​​lemon rinds, and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and let it sit for an hour; drain and rinse well. For coffee containers, add ice, salt and lemon rind, shake for a minute or two and empty.

5. Clean your microwave

Cleaning up the mess that spills from your plate and makes that mess inside your microwave doesn't have to be a difficult task with the use of lemon rinds. Add the lemon rind to a bowl (ceramic or glass) half filled with water. Set your microwave to boil the water for five minutes. Steam will condense on the oven walls and make cleaning easier. Remember to remove the hot bowl carefully and use a thermal glove. Understand this procedure better in the article: "How to clean the microwave with lemon".

6. Polishing chrome or stainless steel surfaces

Chrome surfaces tend to tarnish over time. Using lemon halves used to clean faucets, pans, sinks or other places is a good way to get rid of those blemishes and get everything shiny again. After rubbing the area with lemon peel, rinse and dry with a soft cloth.

7. Polish copper or bronze

To clean your copper pans and faucets or bronze objects, you can also rely on lemon. Sprinkle salt, baking powder or baking soda on half of the used lemon and rub on the surface you want to clean. Let the mixture act for five minutes, rinse with hot water and dry with a soft cloth.

8. Cutting boards

Cutting boards are very favorable environments for the proliferation of bacteria. That is why it is very important to be careful in your hygiene to avoid complications. Know the types of boards, the necessary care and how to keep them clean. Citric acid has antibacterial properties, so using lemon or lemon peel used to disinfect boards is a great idea. Rub half the used lemon on the cutting board, let it rest for a few minutes and then rinse.

9. Keep insects away

Many insects or arachnids, such as spiders and ants, abhor citrus fruits such as lemons. You can cut the lemon peel and place it along windows, doors, pectorals, and near any cracks or holes where ants or pests might be getting into.

• Eight Natural Ways to Keep Spiders Out of Your Home
• How to get rid of ants naturally

10. Make a scented humidifier

Do you suffer from breathing problems when the weather is dry? If you don't have a room humidifier, you've probably used the old method of leaving a basin in the corner of the room to improve air quality. If you prepare your bowl with hot water and lemon peel, in addition to humidifying the environment, you will be perfuming the air with a delicious lemon scent.

11. Deodorize the organic waste collection basket

Lemon peel can be used to disinfect the wastebasket and improve the smell of the kitchen.

12. Prevent brown sugar from hardening

Add lemon rind chips to the container where you keep your brown sugar. This will help keep it moist, preventing it from hardening and becoming difficult to use (for all recipes using lemon rinds, try using organic lemons and rub the rind well to remove any residue).

13. Scratch

You've probably used lemon zest in mousses, cakes or pies. But they combine in different recipes and can even be frozen! After making the zest with the help of a scraper, dry them well with a towel and let them dry naturally. After that you can store it in a jar and even freeze. You can use the zest in salads, marinades, baked dishes, and anything else your imagination allows.

14. Flavor drinks

Peel strips are great in cocktails, sparkling water, tea, and plain water. Use a vegetable peeler to make long strips, or, with a knife, cut the skin into long strips, removing the bitter crumb. They can also be frozen in a freezer container or bag.

15. Make a powdered lemon extract

Let the skins (without any bits of bitter white part) dry in a dish for about three or four days. Put the husks in a blender or powerful food processor until they become a kind of powder. This powder can be used in several recipes.

16. Flavor sugar with lemon

You can add the powdered lemon extract taught above to flavor your sugar. Add part of the powder, or use small pieces of skin directly in the jar with sugar. Thus, the oil from the rind will infuse the sugar and make it tasty for many recipes.

17. Make candied lemon peel

Soak the lemon rinds in a bowl of water for a day or two. Place the lemon peel, a cup of water and a cup and a half of sugar in a saucepan. Place the mixture over low heat, stirring constantly until the sugar dissolves, the water evaporates and the syrup becomes thicker, enveloping the skins. Drain the excess syrup, place the skins on parchment paper and separate the strips with a fork. Before they dry completely, cover the husks with more sugar. When they are very dry, you can store them in a dry container with a lid (preferably airtight).

18. Make a homemade scrub

Mix half a cup of sugar with finely chopped lemon rinds and olive oil, just enough to make a paste. Wet your body in the shower and massage your skin with the mixture. Rinse very well. This solution will ensure a smooth exfoliation and leave your skin feeling soft. Be very careful when removing lemon residues - if this process does not take place correctly, there can be burns if the skin is exposed to the sun.

19. Lighten and smooth the skin on your elbows or knees

Sprinkle some baking soda on top of half a used lemon and rub in place. Don't forget to rinse your skin thoroughly after the procedure and not expose yourself to the sun. Remembering that if you have sensitive or dry skin you should avoid this recipe.

Now that you know these recipes, there's no excuse to throw lemon peels away without giving them a second chance to use them. Check out nine tips for using food peels.