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Lemon Primer

Source of Recipe

recipecircus/cat


Recipe Introduction

Here are some tips and tricks for getting the most from a lemon in your cooking, from Lori Longbotham's book, Lemon Zest:

List of Ingredients




* To get the most out of the fruit, roll a room-temperature lemon on the counter a few times or drop it into hot water for a few minutes before you squeeze it.


* When using lemon juice for baked goods, discard the seeds, but don't strain out the pulp. It will add extra flavor and texture.

* To intensify lemon flavor in a recipe, add finely grated lemon zest rather than more lemon juice. The zest contains more flavor than the juice and won't affect the balance of the other ingredients.

* Never use a cheese grater for removing lemon zest. Longbotham recommends a Microplane grater, which delivers fine, fluffy wisps of rind without the pith. The gadget is available at good kitchenware stores and on the Internet at www.microplane.com. Alternatively, look for a good-quality zester, a five-holed tool designed for use with citrus fruits.

* Rinse grapes in a lemon-water solution to remove any mold or fungus.

* Need buttermilk for a recipe? Add a tablespoon of lemon juice to a cup of milk and let stand for 5 minutes.

* Compensate for reducing salt in a dish by adding a spritz of lemon juice.

* For dishes that contain lemons, always use nonreactive cookware and utensils, such as stainless-steel, enamel-coated iron, or plastic. Avoid aluminum and uncoated cast iron or copper, which may discolor the food and impart an unpleasant metallic taste.

* Whenever possible, add lemon juice to dishes after they've been cooked, to preserve the vitamin C.


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Recipe