Lemons Are Sweet in the Kitchen

We hear so much about the great food items the New World gave to Europe - tomatoes, peppers, corn, chiles, potatoes - that I wanted to give tribute to one of the great kitchen staples that came the other way - the lemon. Originating in Southeast Asia, the lemon was introduced to Europe by the Moors and subsequently brought to America by Columbus.

Two types of lemons are commonly available. The sour lemon is the type found at every grocery store, usually in a large heap. These lemons usually don't have a label specifying variety as there is little distinction among sour lemons - the varieties are interchangeable.

The second type, which is becoming more available and is usually labeled, is the Meyer lemon. Originating in China, this lemon is a cross between an orange and a lemon. It is sweeter and can be eaten whole by those with a high sour tolerance. If a dish calls for fresh, uncooked lemon peel or rind, a Meyer lemon might be preferable. Lemonade made with Meyer lemons will require less sugar.

With both types of lemons, select a fruit that feels heavy and does not have any green tinges, soft spots, or blemishes. I prefer as dark a yellow color as possible, as paler lemons are less ripe and have a higher acid content.  If you're buying lemons primarily for juice, buy lemons with a smooth, glossy surface. If you're looking for zest or to candy the rind, choose lemons with a bumpy skin, as these will have a thicker skin.For instructions on how to candy lemon rind, see the end of the article.

Lemons will keep at room temperature for a week, or refrigerated for a month. Bottled lemon juice is a very poor substitute for fresh lemon juice; however, in a pinch, you can buy frozen lemon juice, thaw it, and store in the refrigerator for a month.

There are a couple of tricks to working with lemons, especially if you're looking to juice them. The best approach is microwave a lemon on high for 20 seconds before juicing. Alternatively, roll the lemon on a counter with the palm of your hand. If you're using a hand reamer, allow the juice to dribble through your fingers, catching the seeds. To make one cup of lemon juice, use 6 large lemons or 8 small lemons.

Culinarily, the lemon has numerous uses besides adding a sour, fruity flavor to fish, chicken, vegetables, etc. Lemon juice can actually cook food, as demonstrated by the Latin American dish of seviche, i.e. raw fish that turns opaque after soaking in lemon juice. Less dramatically, lemon juice will tenderize foods, especially thinly sliced beef.

Lemons are essential for anyone on a low salt diet, as lemon juice can mimic salt's ability to heighten flavor - make sure to add the juice at the end of cooking. Lemon juice is also a way to reduce salt flavor in an accidentally over-salted dish.

Lemon juice is interchangeable with vinegar, but is less acidic and often preferred in a salad dressing when the salad is to be drunk with wine. The mild acidity in lemon juice also prevents browning on exposed surfaces of fruit such as apples or artichokes - just rub a little of the juice on the surface. Similarly, a touch of lemon juice added at the end of cooking vegetables will both brighten the color as well as heighten the flavor of the vegetables.

Lemons are also very useful when cooking with sugar. When making a sugar syrup or candy, add a drop of lemon juice before the sugar and water reach a boil - it will prevent the sugar from recrystallizing. Lemon juice is also a good source of pectin - the substance that makes jams and jellies thick. Besides helping to thicken the jam, lemon juice will heighten the underlying fruit flavor.

For those of you who want to experiment with lemons, make or buy limoncello, a popular Italian liqueur drunk either straight or for mixing with seltzer, etc. Or try preserving lemons as they do in Moroccan cooking, where the pickled taste of preserved lemon is common in main dishes.

An easy thing to do with lemons, however, is to candy the rind and use it for pastry decorations, add it to fruit salads, or apply it as a garnish. To candy lemon rind, remove the lemon peel - yellow part only - with a vegetable peeler. Slice the peel in small strips about 1/4 thick. Bring a pot of water to a boil and boil the strips for one minute. Remove the strips with a strainer, rinse them in cold water, and boil a second time - this removes the bitter oil left on the peel. Strain the peels again, rinse, and dry them on a paper towel. Put the strips in a heavy-bottomed pot, and sprinkle them with sugar. Heat until the sugar has melted on the strips. Remove carefully and dry on a rack.