DIY Lemon Essence – Recipe and Health Benefits
The pulp and the juice of lemons are important for their nutritional and therapeutic properties. Still, the peels are also of great significance. According to studies, lemon peels are so much more than a flavoring ingredient.
Some people love the aromatic lemon flavor and store the grated peels for cooking purposes, without being aware of the fact that they also incorporates interesting healing effects. Lemon peel contains a large spectrum of vitamins, minerals and fibers which are essential for your health.
The intake of lemon peel is beneficial to the health of the cardiovascular system. This aids at lowering the level of cholesterol, while at the same time maintaining the blood pressure under control, thanks to its high levels of potassium. The richness in powerful antioxidants also embodies the capacity of reducing cholesterol. Moreover, the presence of vitamin C and P help with thoroughly cleansing the blood vessels.
Lemon peel encompasses the capacity of strengthening your immunity, as well as improving the overall health of your bones.
Lemon Essence – Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 lemons
- 250 ml alcohol
Preparation
To begin with, peel off the lemons. Make sure not to include the white bitter parts. In order to make sure you have thoroughly removed the possible pesticides remaining on the peels of the lemon, place the fruits in a vessel with water, vinegar and baking soda. Leave for 20 minutes and then softly rub the fruits with a brush.
After having rinsed the lemons, slice them up in tiny pieces and place them in a glass jar. Pour the alcohol afterwards. You should opt for vodka – as it aims at extracting all the flavor and aroma out of the lemon peels. Additionally, vodka is colorless and odorless, thus it won’t alter the taste of the essence in any way.
Close the jar hermetically and agitate. Leave it macerate for at least two weeks. If you wish to obtain a rather intense aroma, leave it macerate for one or two months.
Remember to agitate the jar daily. When the essence has attained the wished texture, filter the liquid using a cloth of gauze. Store the lemon essence in small bottles, closed hermetically, at low temperature.
Keep in mind that lemon peels contain a wide range of oxalates. This is why it is not recommended for consumption to people suffering from kidney stones.
