If you’re a green shake enthusiast, green juice lover – or trying out the 21 day morning detox – you’re going to be using a lot of lemons! Don’t throw away those peels – so much goodness lives there! I have 20 ways to use them:
- Lemon zest for cooking. Before you squeeze your lemon, zest it first. You can store it in the freezer to use for cooking when you need. Perfect to brighten up a cream pasta sauce!
- Lemon Vinegar Cleaner. Cut off the peels and store them in the fridge until the end of the week. You’ll have enough to make a vinegar infusion. Pat them dry and make a lemon vinegar to use in your household cleaning recipes. Use this recipe for the how-to.
- Lemon Ice-cubes. Add lemon slices to your ice-cube tray to brighten up your drinks!
- Lemon zest butter. Make any steamed vegetable awesome by mixing in a little lemon zest, butter and herbs!
- Make Lemon Olive Oil. Pat dry the lemon rinds and add to olive oil. Allow to sit for 2 weeks to infuse in the lemon flavor
- Make Drawer Sachets. Dry out your lemon peels in a warm oven and then mix with spices like lavender to create a beautiful potpourri.
- Clean Stainless Steel. Use the rind of the lemon with a little salt to scrub your stainless steel clean.
- Perk up your Mood. Squeeze the lemon rinds and let the essential oils fall around you. Breathe in the uplifting scent – lemon essential oils are known to enhance your mood and reduce stress and anxiety.
- Sanitise your chopping board. Squeeze the lemon rinds and let the essential oils fall on the chopping board. Lemon essential oils are incredibly antimicrobial and help keep your boards clean!
- Make a fruit & veggie spray. Infuse the vinegar with lemon rinds and use the solution to clean your fruit and veggies. Get the recipe here.
- Make a lemon vinaigrette. Add lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, salt & pepper and dress up your greens!
- Lemon Scrub. Add lemon zest, soft brown sugar and pour in coconut oil until the mixture feels like wet sand. Makes a great gift!
- Coffee Cup Stain Remover. Place lemon peel in the stained cup with boiling water. Let it sit, and then wipe away with cloth
- Microwave Cleaner. Place your squeezed lemon in a bowl with some water. Microwave for 2 minutes. The essential oils in the steam will help to break up any caked-on stains.
- Oven Cleaner. Sprinkle baking soda inside your oven and use the used lemon to give it a good scrub. Rinse clean with a vinegar cleaner.
- Lemon Salt & Pepper. Dry the lemon rinds in a warm oven. After they have dried, pulverize in a blender. Mix with salt & pepper to make a homemade seasoning.
- Remove stains on surfaces. Great for any surface, wood or marble, take the used half lemon, add salt and scrub on stains.
- Clothing Stain Removal. Soak delicates in a bath of lemons and baking soda for an hour before washing.
- Make Lemon Extract. Just like a vanilla extract – it’s super easy to make. Zest you lemons and pour over vodka. Allow to sit for 8 weeks. As you collect more lemon zest you can add it to the mixture to strengthen your extract. Use lemon extract in cooking, baking and to make cocktails!
- Make a refreshing toner. Add boiling water over the lemon peels with a mint tea bag. Store in a spray bottle and in the refrigerator for a cooling and refreshing mist to perk up your skin (and mood!). Lasts for up to 5 days in the fridge. Note: You don’t want lemon oil on your skin out in the sun! Wait a few hours or use this is the evening or when you’re not planning on going out.
