Wellness Wednesday- Iced Lemons
I just finished up a big move. Moving and change are always a huge undertaking both physically and mentally. I am embracing change but I was still so sad to have leave many amazing things behind in my old neighborhood/home. One of those things was my magical year round fruit bearing LEMON TREE. YES! You read that right… I’m bummed to have left my lemon tree.
I use at least a lemon a day and loved nothing more that running out to the tree to grab a fresh lemon to make my morning cup of lemon water (benefits of a daily cup of warm lemon water here). So I did what any rational human would do in the midst of a stressful move; I did a huge lemon pick.
The challenge is that while lemons are hearty and have a tough exterior a huge bundle of them will only last so long. When I began to notice a couple of the lemons soften I knew I had to take some drastic measures. It was time to squeeze the lot and freeze them for a long term lemon supply.
So whether you partake in the morning ritual of warm lemon water, maybe your favorite recipe occasionally calls for a lemon, or possibly you enjoy fresh squeezed lemon in your iced water during this Ventura heatwave. Check out these quick and easy steps for preserving the life of your lemons.
Needs:
Bundle of Lemons (8-10)
½ cup of Water
Ice Cube Trays
You can juice your lemons by hand, a press or any device that may quicken the process. I juiced my lemons straight into my measuring cup. For my specific ice cube tray 2 cups of liquid was perfect. I squeezed 1 ½ cups of lemon juice and filled the remainder of the measuring cup up with water (1/2 cup of water). I would highly recommend making room for water. I tested one batch with straight lemon cubes and they melted much faster as I was taking them out of the trays.
Once you’ve squeezed your 1 ½ cups of lemon and added the ½ cup of water, evenly pour the liquid into the trays. I covered my trays with parchment paper and rubber bands. The idea of freezer burn on my morning lemons didn’t sit well with me (this is an optional step).
From here place the ice cube trays in the freezer and within 6 hours your cubes should be frozen. In the morning my iced lemon cube was ready for my hot cup of water. I placed the remaining cubes in a zip lock freezer bag to best preserve the citrusy icey goodness.
We hate letting good food go to waste. If you have any tips on preserving the life of other fruits and veggies we would love to hear about them.
