Lemons- How to Get the Most Use Out of Them, and Health Benefits

The origin of the lemon is actually a mystery, but it is thought that they came from India, China, or Burma. From there, they traveled to the regions of Jerusalem, Egypt and Persia. However they were first cultivated in the 15th century near Italy. Christopher Columbus also traveled with lemon seeds, which back then were used often for medicinal purposes. By the 19th century they were highly popular in the United States.

There is a way to turn this simple common fruit into a fantastic addition to consumables of all kinds...by just throwing them in the freezer!

Lemons are a commonly used fruit in all kids of recipes, beverages, and as a garnish. They are delicious and come with some health benefits as well. However, they can be a real pain to juice or use for zest. Here is a cool way I've found to use an entire lemon without wasting it. Simply freeze it, and use a cheese grater to shred it for and distribute it into foods and drinks. It is SO much easier than fighting with it when it is soft and ripe. Sprinkle it to your vegetables, salad, soup, ice cream, rice, fish dishes, chicken dishes, water, and so on....the possibilities are endless! It definitely gives all these things a new and unexpectedly exciting flavor...which may end up being a new favorite of yous!

As far as zesting goes, I've found this method to work with limes and oranges too!

When you think of lemons, or citrus in general, the first thing that probably comes to mind is Vitamin C. There are a lot of other advantages to lemons other than just for adding extra flavor to your dishes. First, the lemon peel has as much as 5 to 10 times more vitamins than the lemon itself! By freezing the lemon and grating it, now you won't need to throw away this plentiful source of nutrition. Here are a few other facts about lemons that you may not have heard before:

* Lemon can help prevent cancer, and has 22 anti-cancer compounds. They have been used in several tests by major drug companies since the 1970s to prove that it slows down the growth and kills malignant cells in at least 12 kinds of cancer, including lung, colon, prostate, breast and pancreas cancers.

* It helps regulate blood pressure if it's way too high.

* It's helps reduce depression and stress, along with nervous disorders.

* It is considered an antimicrobial spectrum against bacterial infections, fungi, and parasites.

* Since they are high in vitamin C, lemons prevent scurvy, a disease that causes bleeding gums, loose teeth and aching joints.

* Lemons are great for detoxifying your liver. It acts as a dissonant of uric acid and other poisons.

* The lemon peel contains phytonutrient tangeretin, which has been proven to be effective for brain disorders such as Parkinson’s disease.

* Lemons destroy intestinal worms.

* The citric acid in lemon juice helps dissolve gallstones, calcium deposits, and kidney stones.

Below is a YouTube video I found on explaining the health benefits of lemons

* During the European Renaissance, fashionable ladies used lemon juice as a way to redden their lips.

* Year-round, Lemon trees bloom and produce fruit. Each tree can produce between 500 and 600 pounds of lemons in one year.

* It was believed in the third century by Romans that the lemon was an antidote for all poisons.

* The word lemon is believed to have come from an Asian language's words meaning, "sour" or "sour fruit."

* Lemonade was a favorite drink of the Chinese Emperors. Lemons traveled to the United States with the help of Catholic Missionaries and were planted in Arizona and California.