My little lemon tree.

my lemon tree.

So when your hand
Squeezes the hemisphere
Of the cut
Lemon onto your plate,
A universe of gold,
 

Lemon season is here and my Chinese lemon tree is laden with fruits. Some are green and some are turning yellow.

In few weeks I will have a blessing of bumper crop. I always share my bounties with my neighbors and friends.

One of the lovely things about lemons is that they can be left on the tree for months to be picked as needed.

Some of the best uses I have found with my harvest of lemon are:

1.   I have found lemon juice to be a very healthy weight reducer. You just need to drink some lemon water every morning and before the meals.

2.   I freeze the juice in ice trays to use in summer for home-made Lemonade.

3.   Lemon juice is great appetizer and I use it lavishly in salad and curries.

4.   Lemon juice is my favrouite marinade for both fried fish, chicken and meat roasts.

5. I also use Lemon juice on certain foods that tend to turn brown after being sliced, such as apples, bananas and avocados.

6.I  often use grated rind of the fruit,  to add flavor to baked goods, puddings, rice and other dishes.

7.I have found lemon juice to be the best and most safe Sanitary kitchen  deodoriser .

It easily remove   grease, bleach stains, and disinfect; when mixed with baking soda, lemon juice can remove stains from plastic food storage containers

8.In bath I use it  as Antibacterial  .

9. lemon oil can be used in both wood cleaner and polish,  and dissolve old wax, fingerprints, and grime.

10.Use halved lemon as a hand moistener.

     10. Iuse halved lemon dipped in salt or baking powder  to  brighten copper cookware.

12.Lemon juice may also be used to lighten hair color or skin.

13.Make a room deodorizer by mixing the juice of one lemon with 1 Large spoon full strong tea. Strain and store in an old spray bottle. Spray into rooms to make them smell fresh.

14.I also use it as a hair rinse after shampooing.

15.For a sore throat, make up a mixture of lemon juice, sage tea and honey and gargle before going to bed.

16.A few drops of lemon juice shine my shoes.

The benefit of lemon juice are enormous in your every day life  both in  Culinary ,Non-culinary  and  medicinal.

You simply need to arm yourself with relevant knowledge and you would soon start valuing this citrus fruit   more than ever.
 

You have poured out
One 
Yellow cup
Full of miracles
One of the sweet-smelling nipples
of the breast of the earth,
A ray of light that became a fruit,
The diminutive fire of a planet

.

 Poem :Ode to lemon byPablo Neruda
translated by Jodey Bateman

http://www.motherbird.com/lemonode.html