Welcome to the New Year! Hi, friends. We are starting a lot of new, fun things this year. One is a segment where we feature "in season" fruits and veggies! ! Never miss a tip or trick by followig us on instagram.
About:
Lemons add acid, which can heighten other flavors, and a bright, tangy flavor to foods. Lemons are full of vitamin C, folate, fiber, and potassium. Almost all lemons sold in North America are either Eureka or Lisbon. These lemons are so similar - medium-sized, oval, bright yellow inside and out, with a tangy and bright flavor - that they are grown and packed together.Trees in particularly temperate areas can have fruit ripening year-round (or almost). Commercial trees, however, tend to be harvest 3 or 4 times in their season, which is about 6 months long. Most lemons (95%) grown in the U.S. are from California and Arizona, with coastal California groves harvesting in late winter through early summer and Arizona groves harvesting in fall and early winter.
Benefits:
Lemons are full of vitamin C, folate, fiber, and potassium. Vitamin C is great for strengthening blood vessels, increasing skin elasticity, supporting anti-oxidant function, and aiding in iron absorption. Folate, which is great for cell renewal and preventing birth defects during pregnancy. Potassium that lowers blood pressure, in turn reducing risk of heart disease. Fiber slows the rate that sugar is absorbed into the bloodstream. When you eat foods high in fiber, such as beans and whole grains, the sugar in those foods is absorbed slower, which keeps your blood glucose levels from rising too fast.
Storage:
While there's nothing wrong with keeping your lemons out on the counter (especially if you don't buy more than you can use before they dry out), they'll definitely stay fresh longer if you put them in the fridge in a sealed plastic bag.
To Freeze: Quarter lemons and place in single layer on cookie sheet. Place in freezer until frozen. Place in ziplock bag and remove as needed. Lemons can be frozen whole but they will become mushy when defrosted- although the juice will be fine.
To wash: In truth, as with other fruit, lemons are exposed to a wide range of agricultural pesticides, bacteria and plain old dirt as they progress from the tree to your supermarket. Washing them carefully removes most of these contaminants, as well as the waxy coating that's applied to extend their shelf life. Brush the textured surface of the fruit's skin with a short, stiff brush, such as a toothbrush, nail brush or vegetable brush that's reserved solely for cleaning produce. Be diligent in cleaning the lemon's entire surface.Dry the lemons completely with fresh paper towels,
What to Cook:
Lemon Pound Cake (Recipe Courtesy of Robyn Stone):
Ingredients
For the Lemon Pound Cake
1 1/2 cups butter 3 sticks
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese
6 large eggs
2 tablespoons lemon juice
zest of one lemon
3 cups sugar
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
For the Lemon Buttermilk Glaze
1 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
zest of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon buttermilk
Instructions
For the Lemon Pound Cake
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Prepare bundt or tube pan by coating with shortening or butter and flouring light. Set aside.
Let the butter, cream cheese, and eggs come to room temperature. Cream together the butter, cream cheese and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time. Add lemon juice and zest and combine well. Add flour and salt and vanilla. Mix until just well-combined but do not over mix. Pour the cake batter into the prepared bundt or tube pan.
Bake until golden brown and skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean, about 1 hour and 15 - 30 minutes.
For the Lemon Buttermilk Glaze
As the cake is cooling, whisk together ingredients confectioner's sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and buttermilk to make the glaze. Allow to sit until cake has fully cooled, then drizzle over top of lemon pound cake.
Nutrition
Serving: 1slice | Calories: 457kcal | Carbohydrates: 67g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 19g
Sources: The Farmers' Almanac, leaf.tv/articles. Add A Pinch Blog/Cookbook, CleanStrongHealthy.com.