Spices can change the taste of any familiar dish. Especially if these are unusual flavor combinations, such as lemon pepper seasoning. This spice mix is becoming increasingly popular due to its exotic taste and the possibility of using in various dishes.
Seasoning composition and features
The product is a mixture of flavoring seasonings. The main components that make up are:
- black pepper, which makes the dish sharp;
- lemon peel or acid.
Additional ingredients in the mixture are: onion, garlic, salt, sugar and turmeric. The composition is balanced in such a way that a sharp, burning, sour and sweet taste is simultaneously present in lemon pepper.
In some cases, several varieties of pepper can be used, add lemon essential oil.
Also, some manufacturers can find a ready-made mixture with different sizes of grinding spices. This allows the components to disperse well during cooking.
The use of lemon pepper
The application of the product is wide and extremely diverse. Lemon pepper goes well with meat and fish dishes.
No less tasty are salads, dishes of vegetables and seafood using a spicy mixture.
Lemon pepper can be added at any stage of preparation: for marinade, immediately before heat treatment, or you can season them with ready-made food.
Seasoning is also used for preparing energy, warming drinks, soft drinks and vitamin cocktails.
Useful properties of the product and contraindications
In addition to a bright unusual taste, lemon pepper has useful properties:
- Improves digestive processes and normalizes the acid - alkaline environment.
- Helps strengthen immunity.
- When used regularly, it raises blood pressure.
- Helps the liver work thanks to its rich mineral composition.
- It accelerates metabolism and improves metabolism, due to which body weight gradually decreases.
Attention! Despite the benefits of the product, in some cases you should refrain from using it:
- With diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.
- During pregnancy or breastfeeding.
- In the presence of allergic reactions to the components of the mixture.
- In acute inflammatory processes or chronic diseases of the urinary tract.
How to make a spice mix at home
A mixture of spices can be purchased ready-made. Or if you want to make the product yourself. With the right approach, the quality of seasoning will not only not suffer, but will also increase.
To prepare lemon pepper, you need to prepare:
- Three medium-sized lemons (for lemon zest).
- Black pepper - 3 tablespoons.
- Salt, sugar, turmeric, dried onions and garlic - 1 tablespoon of each ingredient.
Peel the zest from lemons. You should get about 2 tablespoons of the product. Stir it with black pepper and put it on parchment paper.
Place the mixture in the oven preheated to 50 degrees. The zest and pepper should dry completely. This will take about 30 minutes.
After that, remove the spices from the oven, grind them and mix thoroughly with the rest of the ingredients.
The amount of sugar can be reduced, then the seasoning will become more acute. Also, the lemon pepper recipe can be changed, taking into account personal preferences. For this, it is enough to change the proportion of the main components in the direction of a more acidic or more acute taste.
Ready seasoning must be placed in a sealed container. Sunlight, odors and moisture are harmful to lemon pepper. It is recommended to store it in a dark, dry place.