Don't Throw Away Your Lemon Peels

About three weeks ago I blogged about a raw lemonade I made.  http://www.thecabincountess.com/2016/01/raw-lemonade.html

I warm the lemon juice and drink first thing in the morning.

I make it everyday, most of the time without the sweetener or essential oil.  We drink it first thing in the morning to get our day started out right.  Fresh lemon juice is wonderful for many reasons.  I'm not sure I believe the hype that says drinking lemon juice will cure all that ails you or cure diseases.  I do know it makes drinking water in the morning easier for me.  I drink it when my coffee is brewing which is what I really look forward to in the morning.  Drinking lemon juice is hard on the tooth enamel so I figure I am rinsing my mouth afterward with the coffee.  Coffee drinkers will say anything to justify the habit.

In the blog about raw lemonade I also mentioned how I zest the lemon instead of peeling it.  I have plenty of zest in the freezer so instead I cut the peel off and save it. 

 Be sure to wash the lemons well before you cut the peel off.  Organic lemons are better, but it isn't always possible to get them where we live.  I use 14 lemons a week.  I let the peels air dry until I have a batch.  Then I put the peels in a food dehydrator and finish off the drying process.  This same thing could be accomplished in an oven set on a low temperature or just wait until they air dry completely.  Finally when the peel is completely dried, I put them in the blender and grind them into a fine powder.  I think a coffee grinder would also work.  Some of the lemon’s richest nutritional properties are in the rind.   Lemon peels are full of antioxidants, flavonoids, vitamins and minerals.  The lemon peels have twice as much Vitamin C in them than does the fruit.  Lemon essential oil is made from the lemon rind, not the juice.  This process also work with oranges or other citrus fruit.

This powder is a completely natural source of vitamin C.  It is much better for you than taking a Vitamin C tablet made out of ascorbic acid.  At least I usually feel something that occurs naturally in food is probably better than something made in a laboratory.  I could be wrong, but I tend stay away from fake things.  I could go off on a tangent at this statement, but I will stick to my topic.

I put the powder in food or a hot drinks.  It doesn't dissolve completely but I like it very much.  I especially love it in yogurt or my drained kefir. I have been draining the whey off of the kefir.  This leaves behind a thick creamy product resembling plain yogurt but with more probiotic properties.

I realize some of my hair brained ideas aren't for everyone.  I probably won't live any longer than anyone else, but as long as I think I'm trying to do the best I can, I feel better.