Produce Spotlight: Lemons

• A bowl of whole lemons makes a beautiful centerpiece.
• Or you can add them to the bottom of a large vase and top with a flower arrangement.
• Smell a lemon if you have a sweet craving you’re trying to curb!

Wedges and Slices:

• Add to water for an alkalizing effect.
• Add to punch for added flavor.
• Add to hot tea with honey to help a sore throat.

Juice (the Inside):

• Make lemonade, of course!
• Add to your favorite recipes: works well with savory and sweet dishes.
• Add to your washing machine or dishwasher to help whiten clothes and rinse dishes.
• Add to cut fruit (like apples and bananas) or other produce (like potatoes and avocados) to slow down oxidation (what turns them brown).
• Combine with water and use as a natural face cleanser (watch the eyes!).
• Lighten up your hair!
• Lemon Juice, Vinegar and Water make a great all-natural all-purpose household cleaner.
• Lemon Juice, Apple Cider Vinegar and Salt Water (equal parts) makes a great spray for your next grilled pork or chicken cookout (sprinkle meat with salt, pepper, and garlic powder and spray with solution throughout grilling process)!

Peel (the Outside):

• Add zest to dishes for extra bright touch to your meal.
• Drop down the garbage disposal to remove those unpleasant odors.
• Dry excess zest and save for future recipes.

Leftovers:

• Rub the inside of the used lemon on  your cut boards to naturally cleanse.
• Or add baking soda to the inside of the used lemon and rub on your elbows as a natural exfoliator.
• Set a bowl of halved and juiced lemons out as a natural air freshener.
• Put small pieces of lemons in cracks where bugs get in as a natural repellant.
• Rub on your hands and wash them with salt to remove garlic, onion, and fish odors.
• Finally, throw the used lemons in your compost or add them directly to the soil below plants that grow best in acidic soils, like azaleas, rhododendrons and hydrangeas.

Helpful Sources:

• Earth in Common’s “Lemons for Health”
• Reader’s Digest’s “Reasons to Load Up On Lemons”
• Real Simple’s “10 New Uses for Lemons”
• Yahoo! Green’s “22 Uses for Lemon Peels”
• Cluebert’s “Unusual Uses for Lemons”
• Shine’s “New Uses for Lemons”
• Mind Mart’s “Healthy Uses for Lemons”
• Huffington Post’s “6 Surprising Uses for Lemons”
• Martha Stewart’s “Lemon Basics and Lemon Recipes”