Lemon
Lemon( Citrus limon( L.) Burni F.) is a small evergreen tree of the family of rut, with prickly branches and purple young shoots. Its elliptical leaves have a characteristic smell. The flowers are white, located in the axils of the leaves. The fruit is ovoid in shape, with a yellow skin and an acidic juicy pulp, divided into 8-10 lobules. Lemon has many forms, differing from each other by leaves, fruits, etc. Family rut. Genus citrus.
The homeland of lemon is South-East Asia, where it grows wild in the mountains. Hence the lemon penetrated into Mesopotamia. In the X century AD Arabs brought it to Palestine, and from there the Crusaders were brought to Italy. The first information about the amateur culture of the lemon tree cultivated in Georgia belongs to the beginning of the XVIII century. Currently, the lemon is bred in the subtropical zone of the Caucasus. The specific smell of lemon is attached to the essential oil contained in the branches, leaves and peel of the fruit. In the pulp of lemon there are a lot of lemon and malic acids, pectin substances, potassium, copper, phytoncides, vitamins C, groups B, P and carotene. In lemon juice, coumarin isopympinellin is found, and in the peel are flavone glycosides, coumarins.
Natural climatic conditions: subtropics.
Shrub( in natural conditions - a tree);leaves opposite, pointed-ovoid, leathery;flowers single, white, fragrant( in nature pollinated insects, in room conditions - a brush).
Repaired plant. The most common varieties in the rooms are the face of Pavlovsky and Meyer's lemon.
Less demanding in culture than orange, although the main features of care are the same.
For cultivation in the room, the best variety is the Chinese dwarf lemon Meyer. It is a small( 1 - 1.5 m), easily shaped plant, with a rounded compact crown and very few spines. The leaves are elliptical, lanceolate in shape, light green with a characteristic lemon scent. Buds and flowers are collected in clusters. The color of the flowers inside is white, outside is purple-red.
Lemons do not have a clearly expressed period of rest. On its plants you can simultaneously see flowers, green ovaries and yellow fruits. In the fruiting enters for 3 - 4 years after planting in the pot. Flowers and leaves of citrus, including lemon, contain valuable essential oils, which are widely used in the perfume, confectionery, and alcoholic beverage industry.
♦ Accommodation. All year round - in bright sunny rooms. In summer, take it out into the open air. In winter - keep at a temperature of +3 - + 5 ° C.
♦ Care. In summer, the watering is abundant, in winter it is mild. Ensure that there is no stagnation of water. To increase the humidity of the air, we recommend placing pots with plants on a pallet with water or regularly spraying.
During the growth and development of plants, once every 2 weeks, fertilizing with complex fertilizers "Flower" or "Rainbow".Transplantation until 5 - 6 years of age is carried out annually, and at an older age, once every 3 to 4 years. It is best to use soil with a high content of humus "Rose".In the spring, remove the flesh-bearing small twigs, as well as diseased, broken and fatty shoots.
♦ Pests and diseases - red spider mite, on fruits can be a silver mite. Soft false-shield, whitefly. Of the diseases - root rot, anthracnose, which occur in excess watering. On extractions of aphids and scabs the black fungus
is possible ♦ Reproduction is propagation by cuttings. Planting cuttings spend in early spring. For rooting, it is best to take one-year-old ripening shoots.
Lemons also multiply by grafting and budding.
Cuttings take from mature but not lignified shoots with 5-7 leaves( 2 terms: March-April and, from the middle of June to the middle of July) - bear fruit for the fourth year, as the shoots root, pinch;seeds - bear fruit only for the 10th year, therefore it is better to grow only the graft from seeds;air slides( with the help of mowing incisions), by grafting.
Features: Young specimens are transplanted annually, older than 5 years - every 2 to 3 years, old copies - in 6-7 years. Pruning is desirable, crop shoots, spoiling the shape of the crown and begin to dry out after fruiting.
Citrus fruits, including lemons, have an exceptionally rare property - to give several shoots from one seed. And one more amazing feature: after maturing, if the fruits are left hanging on the plant, they again become green and then
Requirement for moisture: in the summer daily hour-May, moderate watering;in winter - depending on the temperature: at high - every five days, with a cool - every ten days. You can use tap water.
Temperature regime: the optimum temperature in the summer is 25 ° C, in winter it does not exceed 13 ° C( it can also carry large depressions to 0 ° C);but fruiting can be achieved only if the temperature does not exceed 15-18 ° C during the flowering period.
Light mode: light-loving plant. The southern exposure is optimal.
The requirement for soil: the optimum soil mixture from sod, leaf, peat and humus lands with sand in a ratio of 2: 1: 1: 1: 1 is optimal. Drainage is mandatory. In the summer - fertilizing with mineral fertilizers every day or every other week.
Ways to use
Lemons are only heat treated if there is a risk of spoilage. Lemons can be stored for a short time and without preserving, as during cooking, vitamin C, contained in the juice and in the lemon crust, is destroyed.
The healing qualities of lemon have long been recognized as medicine. And this is the merit of vitamin C, with which lemon and other citrus fruits are especially rich. Nutritionists believe that 60 mg of vitamin C per day will save you from having to go to a doctor.
Vitamin C supports us in an active state - when it is lacking, people become listless, inattentive, sleepy. It well strengthens the body's immune system and, therefore, fights against all "seasonal" diseases. The ability of this vitamin to resist the processes of oxidation in the body, which is attributed to all the "sins" of aging, is recognized. Lemon has an anti-sclerotic effect, slows down the process of sealing the walls of blood vessels, reduces their permeability and fragility, strengthens their walls. This quality of vitamin C should be used by those who are prone to varicose veins, suffers from pulmonary, nasal, uterine bleeding, and bleeding of the turf. Ascorbic acid, contained in lemon, relieves swelling, soothes, has restorative properties. It is involved in the regulation of blood clotting and carbohydrate metabolism, the restoration of damaged tissues and the formation of a number of hormones. Vitamin C is not in vain called a "vitamin of beauty": it is involved in the synthesis of collagen - a special substance that determines the skin condition.
Lemon is a powerful anti-aging agent. Prepare the mixture easily. To do this, 4 lemons juice is mixed with 300 g grated garlic. Take 1 teaspoon per glass of water 30 minutes before eating.
It is recommended that future mums, suffering from toxicosis, apply a fresh cut of lemon to the epigastric region for 15-20 minutes. For greater reliability you can fix it with a bandage.
Young mothers, concerned about the lack of milk, healers advise such a tool. Grated on a fine grater( together with the peel), mix with 2 tablespoons of cumin seeds and 1/2 cup of granulated sugar, pour the mixture with a glass of warm water and simmer, stirring, over low heat for 8-10 minutes. Insist for an hour, strain. Take 100 ml three times a day.
With sore throat, rinses with lemon juice are very effective. In a glass of water, juice is added from half a lemon and a throat rips. It is useful and simple to eat it without anything, since the lemon serves as a kind of antiseptic, destroying viruses and microbes that are in the sore throat.
Lemon oil tones up the autonomic nervous system, an effective remedy against vegetative-vascular dystonia. Whitens, smooths the skin, reduces freckles and age spots, eliminates visible vascular pattern, an excellent remedy for dandruff, a natural hair clarifier, eliminates brittle nails.
Eliminates rashes of various origins, boils, lichen, warts, cracks in the palms and soles, eczema, bleeding gums. A good antiviral agent is effective for influenza, herpes, chickenpox, viral hepatitis, measles, mumps.
Has antibacterial, antiseptic, bactericidal action. It alleviates fever, helps normalize body temperature. Remedy for headache, nausea, dizziness caused by spasms of the brain vessels or an overdose of caffeine.
Normalizes metabolism and utilization of fat, a remedy for obesity, eliminates cellulite. Dissolves stones of the gallbladder and kidneys. Rejuvenates the walls of blood vessels, has anti-sclerotic effect. It prevents varicose veins and the development of hemorrhoids. Participates in purifying the body of toxins, has an anti-anemic effect, activates leukocytes in the body's defense system, normalizes the blood formula.
This oil is not compatible with sunbathing. Methods of application: aromatic lamps - 2-8 drops;2-3 drops 2-3 times a day with honey;inhalation -2-5 drops;baths, sauna - 2-8 drops;massage - 2-8 drops per 10 g of transport oil;compresses - 2-5 drops.
Lemons are used in the manufacture of confectionery and non-alcoholic beverages, in alcoholic beverages and in the perfume industry. Sour taste and pleasant aroma provide a variety of uses in cooking. Sliced lemon is served for tea, coffee and cognac. As a spice they are used in the preparation of various sweet dishes, cookies, sauces, fish, poultry and rice dishes. Lemon juice improves the taste of various dishes: meat, fish, cold snacks, salads.
The greatest amount of essential oils contains the outer layer of peel - peel. It is used both in fresh and dried form. Under the yellow, white layer of peel is not used for food, as it gives it a bitter taste when heated.
Try to make a lemon tincture, its recipe is very simple, and the taste is incomparable: cut 2 large lemons into 4 pieces, put them in a bottle with a wide neck( 2 liter pot), a little vanilla, 1 bottle of dry wine and 2 glasses of vodka. Cover with a cork or a lid and put it for a week in a dark place.5 tablespoons of granulated sugar in a small amount of water, pour the syrup into a bottle or jar, add the strained tincture there. Leave in sealed container for a few more days, until the sugar is completely dissolved. The obtained tincture should be stored in a dark cool place.
Lemon wine
12 large lemons, 4.5 liters of boiling water.4.5 liters of juice 6 glasses of sugar, 1 tbsp.spoon of yeast.
Slice the lemons into slices. Pour boiling water and insist for 3 days. Strain and measure the amount. Add sugar and yeast and put in a warm place( 18-24 ° C) for fermentation. After stopping the bubble, move. Let stand for 3 days. Strain. Cork and leave for 12 months. Pour into bottles, seal and put in a cool dark place for several months.
At the celebration it is good to serve a cocktail "lemon".In a glass on a thin stalk put a piece of sugar, pour lemon juice( 20 g), top up the champagne, throw a piece of ice and decorate with a mug of lemon.
Citrus salad with cream
Cooking time: 15 min. In one serving 210 kcal 4 servings: 1 lime( or green lemon), 3 teaspoons of honey, fresh peppermint leaves, 2 oranges, 2 pink grapefruits, 400 g creamy yogurt, cinnamon, 1 small garnet
1. For marinade halfRemove lime peel with thin strips. Squeeze out the lime juice and mix 2 tablespoons with 1 teaspoon of honey. Slice several mint leaves into thin strips and add to the mixture.
2. Clear oranges and grapefruits, free slices from white membranes, pour honey marinade and let stand.
3. Mix the yogurt, 2 teaspoons of honey and 1 pinch of cinnamon with the remaining lime juice. Spread the plates of orange and grapefruit slices, strips of zest. Take out the seeds of pomegranate and sprinkle with fruits. Pour yoghurt cream, decorate with mint.
Lemon curd
Yield 450 g
2-3 lemons, 100 g butter or margarine, 225 g sugar, 2 whipped eggs
Thinly peel the cake with lemons. Squeeze and pass the juice through the strainer. Melt the butter( margarine) in a bowl over the hot water pan.
Whipping, enter sugar, lemon peel, juice and eggs. Continue cooking on low heat, stirring occasionally, until the thickening of the mass. Pass through the strainer into clean jars, cover, stick labels and put in a cold dark place.
Lemon jam
Lemons are washed, peeled, blanched in boiling water for 15-20 minutes and washed and cooled in cold water at the same time. Then the lemons are cut into slices and the corn is removed from them. Slices are poured with hot sugar syrup, cooked in the same way as for jam from oranges, and kept for 2-4 hours. Brewed in three stages with aging between the next cooks 8-12 hours. The total consumption of sugar per 1 kg of prepared lemon slices is 1.5 kg.
Lime is a green lemon of sweet taste.
Lemons in sugar
With a stainless knife cut the lemons into slices, lay in a glass jar with layers, sprinkling with sugar, top with sugar. Store in a cool place.
Lemon jelly with fruit
Pour in a pan of water, pour sugar( for 1 lemon - 3 cups of water, 1 glass of sugar), sweep and boil. In a hot syrup put the zest, cut from half a lemon, and 25 g of gelatin( previously soaked and wrung out).Stir the syrup, bring it back to the boil and pour the lemon juice. Strain the hot syrup, cool it down, pour into vases or molds, so that the bottom is covered by 1 - 2 cm. When it stiffens, put the fruit, pour half-frozen syrup and put it in the cold.