Paper Palate

“When life gives you lemons … be grateful.” I can’t take credit for that quote, I must give that to Kathleen Purvis, food writer and editor for the Charlotte Observer. She said it, and I have to agree with her.

I just love lemons, from the smell right down to the turn-your-mouth-inside-out tartness. I suppose a sure sign of my love for lemons was when it became habit for me, as a young child, to fish the lemon slices out of the glass of everyone at the dinner table and eat them right off the rind. I’ve given up that practice, and I’m sure my dinner companions and my tooth enamel thank me for it, but my love hasn’t waned.

Lemons are great for adding life to bland dishes. Aside from their flavor, their acid tenderizes meat, and lemon juice helps to thicken egg yolk mixtures. As we all know, fruits and vegetables all have their “in season.” Most citrus fruits come into season in mid-winter and last through the middle or end of summer. Lemons have a longer growing season, and you can almost always find them available at your local market.

There are several essential tools every cook should have if you use alot of lemons:
Zester - a short handled tool with 3-5 holes in one end. While pressing the holed end against the lemon, draw the zester down while digging into the skin slightly. Results: Fine, thin yellow strands of zest.

Microplane grater - the tool looks similar to a wood rasp, which is what it is based on. The grater has rows of razor sharp teeth with a handle at one end. Result: Short, small pieces of zest that mix easily into your recipe.

Reamer - a hand-held tool for juicing citrus halves. The reamer has a pointed end and sharply ridged edges. Wooden reamers tend to work better than metal or plastic reamers, as they usually have a better shape. Result: Fresh lemon juice

The Charlotte Observer article included some helpful tips:

-When zesting lemons, be sure not to grate into the pith, which is the white and bitter coating under the rind.

-When zesting and juicing, it works best to zest before juicing.

-You should almost always choose fresh over bottled lemon juice. There is no comparison with the flavor. The only time bottled juice is preferred is when a reliable percentage of acidity is required, such as during canning.

-Fresh juice doesn’t keep long, so if you have some leftover freeze it in ice cube trays for use later.

-A great use for those lemons you’ve juiced and are only going to throw away is to grind a few in the garbage disposal. It keeps your disposal smelling fresh.

-Save the empty shells in the freezer and use them to stuff a chicken before roasting.

-Another great use for those leftover lemons you’ve just juiced - Scrape out the insides and use them to serve lemon sorbet.