How many times have you bought lemons, juiced them and chucked out the rinds? How many times have you had a recipe that calls for lemon rind, but you didn't happen to have any lemons? No need to be sour, because OrganicSassy has the solution and you will love how simple and easy this is!
As I was preparing homemade lemonade on a hot summers day, I couldn't help asking myself why it is that we often waste such a marvelous flavour enhancer as lemon rinds. Wouldn't it be nice to have a jar of it stashed in your fridge? Let's face it, even if you are not a fan of lemon juice (you sour sack!) lemon rind is something else altogether: it's fresh, it's zesty without being acidic, it bursts with flavour and transforms simple dishes into something exotic... In other words: it's summer to your taste buds!
I add lemon rind to all sorts of dishes: coarsely chopped to marinade olives and to jazz up summer stews and finely cut to put some sunshine into salads and soups. Combine it with chopped fresh herbs, olive oil and garlic or onions and you have got yourself a lovely salsa! Lemon rinds are also one of the nicest ingredients for baking. I love making butter cake with it and serve it with tea (fresh mint tea for example). The possibilities are endless, but it all starts with one simple step: peeling the rind.
Here's a tip: every time you buy lemons and you only need the juice, peel the rinds anyway. It is done within minutes and you will be grateful to yourself for months to come. Here's how: scrub the lemons under warm tap water with (organic) dish washing liquid. Yes, that's right, with detergent. Why? Well, unless your lemons are organic (in which case I still urge you to wash them thoroughly) there may be pesticides or wax on the rinds. I don't know about you, but I like to avoid eating those whenever I can. Even though you may not be able to wash it all off, you can reduce your intake which in the long term benefits your health and that of your family.
Once you are satisfied that your lemons are clean, rinse them with cold water. I found that the best way to peel them is with a potato peeler. Only peel the yellow outer rind, as the white inside can be rather bitter. Peel in strips of 5 cm / 1.5 inch and put them in a sealable container. Cover each layer with plenty of salt and add water to cover the top layer once you are done. Simply store it in your fridge and use whenever required. You can keep adding to it, just cover it with salt and add water. There is no need to rinse the salt off, unless you need to watch your salt intake. For sweet recipes you can use this same method but replace the salt with sugar syrup. Disolve six table spoons of (organic) cane sugar in boiling water and add to the lemon peels. I like to have one of both in my refrigerator, as it always comes in handy. You can keep these preserved rinds for several months, they seem to last forever! If in doubt, just make sure you check for substantial discolourations or strange odours.
Plenty of rinds but not plenty of time? Put them in a zip lock bag in your freezer and use when required or preserve them when you have a couple more minutes to spare on the weekend or the holidays. Summer has never been so zesty!
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