Lemons really get a bad wrap. They do. They’re tart, have seeds and are a weird shape. And they’re yellow. (Did I mention that’s my least favorite color?)
But I wasn’t always this tart. When I was young I used to be a real sucker. Whenever I went to a seafood restaurant, the first thing I would do when my platter arrived was (yes, you guessed it) suck on it. I was probably the only customer who did. But I didn’t care. I was there to have a good time.
Now today I avoid lemon juice altogether because I learned the citric acid was a big no-no for my tooth enamel (translation: not a good thing for people with sensitive teeth. That’s funny – I always thought ice cream caused my childhood toothaches… this could be another which-came-first-the-chicken-or-the-egg conundrum…).
Anyway, here are I think about 7 new uses for lemons that I just found from Real Simple Magazine (you can read the rest here):
Lemon Use #1: Make Your Whites Whiter (without using Clorox)
Add 1/4 – 1/2 cup of lemon juice (depending on the load size and whitening desired) to wash cycle as you would with Clorox.
Lemon Use #2: Soothe Your Aching Throat
The trick is to concoct your own gooey throat lozenge. You can do this by cutting the lemon in half (in the center). Skewer over open flame or on high electric stove until the peel starts to brown (this warms the juice). Squeeze lemon juice into 1 teaspoon of honey and mix.
Lemon Use #3: Brighten your Hair
This is perhaps the easiest. Cut 2 lemons in half and simmer in 2 cups water for an hour (add more water as you wish). Then strain and pour into a little spray bottle (travel plastics are fine for this.) (Okay, the mix-up isn’t, but the application is.) Just spray onto your hair before spending time in the sun (i.e., mowing, fishing, walking). Apply daily until you reach your desired lightness.
Lemon Use #4: Prevent Browning
Preserve the look of freshly cut apples and pears by squeezing a little of this wonder juice over them.
Lemon Use #5: Add Homespun Appeal (okay, I’ll admit – that does sound a bit hokey)
But with today’s new retro obsession (i.e., Jonas Brothers), these citrusy darlings can zest up an otherwise drab and dreary room. And the primary color thing fits with the fling back to the glory days of red everything.
Lemon Use #6: Hold your Toothpicks
Unless you live in the South, you probably won’t know what a toothpick is (it’s that thang we hicks chew on when we’re listening real hard!). Just kidding. But it is a cute, chubby collector that does the trick when you entertain. (Think card games when you have meat and cheese bites or a fruit brunch.)
Lemon Use #7: Clean your Cutting Board
Lemons can even remove stains from your cutting board – IF it is WOOD or PLASTIC. All you have to do is squeeze the juice out. Then give it a good rub – as if you were trying to wear the lemon down. Let stand for 20 minutes and clean as normal. (Now you know why the Food Network is so popular.) Not only does it clean stains, it always replaces putrid odors like fish, onions and garlic with the clean smell of a lemon grove. Yum.
See also…
10 Unexpected Uses for Lemons
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