Lemon Recipes

Lemons are famous around the world for their bright yellow colour, highly acidic content, and extremely sour taste. While few can stand eating a lemon on its own, the juice of the lemon can be used in many cuisines to add zesty flavour to recipes. For example, lemon is popular in Vietnamese recipes, with our lemon pepper beef & veggie stir-fry recipe being a great example.

Here are some unique facts about lemons:

1. Lemons originate from Asia, and the trees that produce them can yield a crop of up to 272kg in weight every year. That's because lemon trees can produce fruit all year round.
2. Lemon has a naturally high acidity content, which makes it very effective when used in cleaning products.
3. The most commonly found types of lemons are the Eureka, Lisbon and Meyer varieties.

Lemons may have a strong, acidic flavour, but they are actually mostly water, with 88.98g per 100g. As a low-calorie fruit, 100g provides just 28 calories and 9g of carbohydrates. Since a small portion of the calories comes from sugars, with the majority from dietary fibre, the overall carbohydrate balance is considered quite healthy.

While popular as a marinade (see our sauteed chicken & creamy lemon sauce recipe for a great example), lemon juice can also be effective in enhancing food in other ways. Adding just a few drops of lemon juice will:

• Prevent other fruit, such as avocados, apples or bananas, from going brown.
• Stop rice from sticking when added to boiling water for cooking.
• Tenderise meat by breaking down its tough fibres.
• Make lettuce crisper if you soak the leaves in some water mixed with lemon juice, then allow them to dry.
• Revamp many dishes by sprucing up creamy recipes and acting as an excellent salt substitute.
• Ensure brown sugar stays soft if you add a slice of the fruit to your sugar jar.
• Help to cook the best hard-boiled eggs if you rub a little juice on the shell before adding the eggs to boiling water.