Lemons are widely used to garnish all kinds of foods- lemon juice is squeezed onto certain South Asian dishes to enhance their flavor, such as Nihari and Daal Chawal. Lemons wedges and rounds are also used to add a pop of color to different kinds of drinks and mocktails.
It’s important to know how you can make the most of lemons by cutting and slicing them in different ways. But before you can get to that stage, it’s more important that you buy the right one, and understand the difference between lemons and limes.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LEMON AND LIME
Lemons and limes are from the same citrus family, but are genetically different. Lemons are bigger in size and yellow, while limes are smaller and greener. Though both are packed with Vitamin C and have a number of nutritional benefits, their flavor varies- lemons are sweeter while limes are more acidic and therefore sourer.
While making a mocktail of your own, always make sure that you use the right amount of citrus nectar from either lime or lemon. It depends on which flavors you would like to enhance, and if your drink calls for a tangy taste, you can use lime, but if you want something a little sweeter you can opt for lemons. Most drinks make use of lemons though, so I would suggest you go for those.
BUYING AND STORAGE:
Lemons are of course, easily available for purchase and are sold at very cheap prices. Buying a lemon is not a difficult task, you just have to make sure that you one that doesn’t have any brown spots, or wrinkled skin. The brighter and yellower the lemon, the better its taste, so remember that when picking out the right fruit.
Storing lemons is also very easy; they do well in the fridge for up to a week. Another interesting way to store is to take out the juice from the lemon, pour it in an ice cubes tray and store it in the freezer for an easy and convenient way to make lemonade and mocktails whenever you want.
GUIDE ON HOW TO CUT A LEMON
Below is the guide on how to cut a lemon in different ways.
- LEMON ROUNDS
To cut a lemon into rounds or slices, start by cutting off the top, and then holding the lemon down with one hand, slice with the other.
- LEMON WEDGES
To cut the lemon into wedges, start by slicing the lemon into half. Working with one half at a time, slice through the other half to make a wedge (moon shape).
- SMALL LEMON WEDGES
To cut the lemon into small wedges, slice the wedges in to two halves from the center.
All it takes is practice, and since lemon is relatively easy to master, you’ll be cutting like a pro in no time!
