Cookbook:Lemon
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Cookbook | Recipes | Ingredients | Equipment | Techniques | Cookbook Disambiguation Pages | Ingredients
Lemons are a very common citrus fruit variety[1] from the tree Citrus limon.
Characteristics
[edit | edit source]Like other citrus fruits, lemons have a dimpled peel. They are a few inches/centimeters in diameter,[2][3] and can range from ovular to fairly round.[4][5] The skin is characteristically bright yellow when ripe and highly aromatic,[4][5] with (+)-limonene and citral contributing a lemony aroma.[5] The pulp is also yellow and very tart,[3][4] with the juice containing about 5% citric acid,[2][3][6] as well as a relatively high proportion of vitamin C. The flavor is generally characterized as fresh and bright.[6][7][8] Lemons may or may not contain seeds, depending on the cultivar.[5]
A few sub-varieties of lemon exist.[6] The Lisbon and Eureka lemons are very prevalent,[1][3] and they are generally thought of as "standard". The Meyer lemon is a lemon hybrid that is sweeter and more aromatic than most, with thin skin and few seeds.[1][4][6]
Selection and storage
[edit | edit source]Look for lemons that are firm, heavy, and bright yellow,[9] with no soft or browned spots. Left on the tree, they will last for quite a while.[5] Once harvested, they are best kept cool—they will last weeks in the fridge.[1][5]
Use
[edit | edit source]Lemons are not commonly eaten straight,[4] but they are very widely used in cooking (both sweet and savory) for their flavor and acidity.[1][2][7] As the central flavor, the zest and juice are both used to flavor cakes, cookies, soufflés, beverages, confections, sauces, marinades, and more.[1][5][10][11] The zest is particularly helpful when lemon flavor is desired without liquid or acidity.[5][7][9] Lemon can also play a supporting role as a flavor enhancer,[1][9][11] especially in preparations of other fruits and several kinds of sauce. Both zest and thin slices of the whole fruit can act as a garnish, the peel can be candied, and the whole fruit can be preserved in salt.[2][4][6][7] The acidity helps when whipping egg whites, cooking sugar, making pastry, preventing fruit discoloration, tenderizing meat, and cutting through heavy and fatty foods.[1][2][5][9]
Techniques
[edit | edit source]To get the most juice from a lemon, try soaking the whole fruit in hot water for an hour or rolling the whole fruit several times on a hard surface.[1]
Substitution
[edit | edit source]In many cases, lemon juice and vinegar can be exchanged for each other,[11] though the flavor will be considerably different.
Recipes
[edit | edit source]Recipes
[edit | edit source]References
[edit | edit source]- ↑ a b c d e f g h i Friberg, Bo (2016-09-13). The Professional Pastry Chef: Fundamentals of Baking and Pastry. Wiley. ISBN 978-0-470-46629-2.
- ↑ a b c d e The Chefs of Le Cordon Bleu (2011-12-02). Le Cordon Bleu Patisserie and Baking Foundations. Cengage Learning. ISBN 978-1-4390-5713-1.
- ↑ a b c d Rinsky, Glenn; Rinsky, Laura Halpin (2008-02-28). The Pastry Chef's Companion: A Comprehensive Resource Guide for the Baking and Pastry Professional. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978-0-470-00955-0.
- ↑ a b c d e f Labensky, Sarah; Martel, Priscilla; Damme, Eddy Van (2015-01-06). On Baking: A Textbook of Baking and Pastry Fundamentals, Updated Edition. Pearson Education. ISBN 978-0-13-388675-7.
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i Van Wyk, Ben-Erik (2014-09-26). Culinary Herbs and Spices of the World. University of Chicago Press. ISBN 978-0-226-09183-9.
- ↑ a b c d e McGee, Harold (2007-03-20). On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 978-1-4165-5637-4.
- ↑ a b c d Ruhlman, Michael (2008). The Elements of Cooking: Translating the Chef's Craft for Every Kitchen. Black Incorporated. ISBN 978-1-86395-143-2.
- ↑ Stanek, Amiel (2017-07-26). "Fresh Lemon Juice Is the Most Powerful, Versatile Ingredient Ever". Bon Appétit. Retrieved 2025-01-12.
- ↑ a b c d Havlicek, Lee (2012-09-26). "Lemons: The 'secret' ingredient that makes everything taste better". The Seattle Times. Retrieved 2025-01-12.
- ↑ Farrimond, Stuart (2017-09-19). The Science of Cooking: Every question answered to perfect your cooking. Penguin. ISBN 978-1-4654-7079-9.
- ↑ a b c Davidson, Alan (2014-01-01). Jaine, Tom (ed.). The Oxford Companion to Food. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/acref/9780199677337.001.0001. ISBN 978-0-19-967733-7.