Despite the fact that lemon is grown in countries with a hot tropical climate, it has long ceased to be exotic for residents of our country. This fruit is very beneficial for the human body. But due to the pronounced sour taste, few decide to use it in its pure form. Various jams, drinks, ice cream and even pastries are prepared from it. In today's article, the most interesting and simple recipes from lemon are collected.
General recommendations
This overseas fruit is often used in cooking. With its help, you can easily turn a regular cake into an incredibly delicious gourmet dessert, and make lemonade from an ordinary mineral water. When buying lemons, you need to give preference to instances with elastic, shiny and not too hard skin. The degree of ripeness of the fruit can be easily determined by weight. The heavier the fruit, the juicier it is.
You can store unused lemons on the shelf of the refrigerator or in the freezer. To reanimate a dried fruit, it is advisable to hold it in cold water, changing it several times. Thanks to these simple manipulations, the fruit will quickly find its lost freshness.
If the culinary recipe involves the use of lemon zest, it is easy to obtain with a sharp knife or a fine grater. If the composition of the dish undergoing heat treatment includes the juice of this tropical fruit, then it is advisable to add it at the very end of the technological cycle. For homemade cakes to have a pronounced lemon taste and aroma, it is recommended to add citrus zest to the dough. As for juice, you can soak an already prepared dessert with it. Those who want to understand what can be prepared from the pulp of a lemon will be interested in the fact that they make quite tasty toppings for sweet cakes. And the remaining peel of the peeled fruit should be dried. Subsequently, it can be used to create a tincture.
Lemon ice cream
According to this recipe, a very delicious refreshing dessert is obtained, in the composition of which there will be no preservatives. This option will be a real find for those who are in the summer heat thinking about what can be made from lemon. To make a cold sweet treat you will need:
- 300 grams of cream 30% fat.
- Yolks from three eggs.
- 150 grams of sugar.
- Half a glass of milk.
- Fresh lemon.
- Vanillin.
In one dish, chilled boiled milk, sugar, vanillin and egg yolks are combined. Fresh lemon juice or its zest is sent there. All is well mixed and placed in a water bath. Pre-whipped and thickened cream is introduced into the resulting mass, which looks like condensed milk. All mix gently. Then all this is poured into molds and sent to the freezer. During the first two hours, you must definitely stir, not forgetting to do it every thirty minutes, and then leave to freeze overnight.
Fragrant Jam
This option will surely interest those who are looking for what can be prepared from lemon for the winter. To create this delicious and very healthy goodies, you will need simple and readily available products that are sold in any store. Before you approach the stove, double-check whether you have at hand:
- 350 grams of lemons;
- 110 milliliters of drinking water;
- 370 grams of sugar.
Citrus fruits are washed in running water, not forgetting to carefully process the zest with a small brush. After that, the fruits are cut into approximately equal circles no more than 10 millimeters thick, simultaneously removing the seeds, and blanch them for about five minutes. Then lemon slices are sprinkled with 200 grams of sugar, warmed up, gently stirring. All this is simmered. Five minutes later, the remaining sugar is sent to the future dessert and continue to cook. After a quarter of an hour, lemon slices are taken out of the dishes. The syrup itself is left on the stove and boiled for twenty minutes. Then fruit slices are returned to it and boiled, achieving the desired density. Ready jam is stored in clean glass jars with plastic covers.
Lemon tincture on vodka
Miracle drink prepared according to the recipe described below has healing properties. It helps to eliminate toxins, gives elasticity to blood vessels and protects cells from the damaging effects of free radicals. It is recommended to use for colds and during the period of seasonal vitamin deficiency. Therefore, those who do not know what can be made from lemon are advised to pay attention to this recipe. To prepare this tincture you will need:
- 4 lemons.
- Liter of vodka.
- A couple of glasses of sugar.
- 200 milliliters of water.
Remove the zest from the fruit and combine it with chopped pulp. All this is poured with vodka and insisted for four days. The resulting liquid is filtered and mixed with sugar syrup. Such lemon tincture on vodka is not subjected to heat treatment. Therefore, it retains a large number of nutrients. However, do not abuse this drink. Otherwise, instead of benefit, you will harm your body.
Shortcrust pastry cake
Those who have not yet decided what can be made from lemon should pay attention to this recipe. The dessert prepared according to it is incredibly tasty and aromatic. To bake such a pie, you need to check in advance whether you have at hand:
- 600 grams of flour.
- 3 chicken eggs.
- 300 grams of butter.
- A couple of glasses of sugar.
- One and a half teaspoons of baking powder.
- A pinch of salt.
All this is required to prepare the dough. Like many other lemon recipes, this option involves the use of additional components. To create a fragrant sweet and sour filling, you will need:
- 1.5-2 cups of sugar;
- 3 ripe lemons.
In one bowl combine the butter, warmed to room temperature, and sugar. All intensively triturated until a white mass appears. Then eggs, salt, flour and baking powder are added there. Almost finished shortbread dough is sent for a couple of hours in the refrigerator. Then it is rolled to the desired size, divided into four parts, three of which should be approximately the same, and the last - the smallest.
The resulting cakes are baked until golden and still warm, smeared with lemon filling made from fruits and sugar crushed in a blender. The smallest cake is turned into crumbs and sprinkled on its finished cake.
Lemon and Honey Drink
This recipe is so simple that even an inexperienced housewife will master it without special problems. It produces a tasty and healthy drink that can be given not only to adults, but also to children. To do this, you will need:
- Ripe lemon.
- 2 liters of water.
- 3 tablespoons of natural honey.
Washed and chopped lemon is poured with boiled water, heated to 90 degrees. When it cools down a little to a warm state, honey is added to it and mixed well. After about half an hour, the aromatic and healthy lemon drink will be ready to drink.
Custard
This delicious dessert has a unique taste and aroma. It has a very delicate texture and is prepared from fairly simple products. And the technology itself is so simple that even a novice cook can handle it. Having figured out what can be made from lemon, go to the store in advance for the necessary ingredients. At your disposal should be:
- 3 lemons;
- 50 grams of butter;
- 3 chicken eggs;
- 200 grams of sugar.
Process description
First of all, peel is removed from lemons and combined with sugar. All this is whipped with a blender, trying to achieve maximum uniformity, and removed to the side for a quarter of an hour. After that, the aromatic mass is sent to the stewpan. Lemon juice and raw eggs are added there.
All this is brought to a boil and boiled over minimal heat until thickened. At the very end, butter is introduced into the cream and the stewpan is removed from the stove. A cooled treat can be eaten just like that, but most often it is used to lubricate baked goods.