Lemon juice and rind are used in a wide variety of foods and drinks.
The juice is used as a raw sour dressing. Mixed with extra virgin olive oil and salt, it gives rise to the famous "citronette".
Lemon juice is the fundamental ingredient to produce a non-alcoholic homemade drink called "lemonade"; then, on an industrial level, it is used in other non-alcoholic products (gassed or not) and in some alcoholic cocktails.
Lemon juice is also used in so-called "marinades" for fish (marginally, even for meat), where its acid component denatures proteins, slows down bacterial proliferation and neutralizes tissue amines turning them into non-ammonium salts. volatile. It is necessary to specify that the denaturing action of lemon juice ( citric acid ) has both positive and negative aspects, which suggest its use towards one or the other type of preparation. To be more precise, citric acid tends to break down mainly the collagen protein fibers making the raw meat more tender; however, the partially hydrolyzed peptide structure will tend to dry excessively with cooking.
Lemon juice is widely used in the United Kingdom as an ingredient in pancakes, especially at the "Fat Tuesday".
It is also used as a short-term preservative for foods (mainly vegetables and fruit) that tend to oxidize and darken after being cut (enzymatic process); they are typical examples: artichokes, apples, bananas and avocado. The conservative action of the lemon on the natural color of plant tissues is due to two main elements: the acids that degrade the enzymes responsible for oxidation, vitamin C (or ascorbic acid) which has an antioxidant function. Obviously, to minimize this occurrence it is advisable NOT to use metal knives (material that quickly starts the oxidation process) and prefer ceramic tools.
Lemon juice also structures one of the most famous sauces in the world, or mayonnaise.
Lemon pulp (and sometimes zest) is used to make jams. The juice is suitable for the composition of jellies and the rind is excellent in the production of candied fruit.
The slices of lemon or just the rind are used as a garnish or to flavor foods (seafood salad, sea or meat fried, grilled sea or meat etc.) and drinks (tea, coca cola, beer, aperitifs etc. ). The peel (without the white part) cut into strips (julianne) or grated, is used to flavor baked goods, desserts, risottos, dry pasta and other dishes.
Lemon peel is infused into ethyl alcohol to produce a typical Italian liqueur, the "limoncello".
Half a lemon dipped in the cooking water is very useful in the boiling of cephalopod molluscs destined to be served cold (octopus, cuttlefish, squid, squid, etc.).
The leaves of the lemon plant are used to make a type of tea and to prepare meat or roasted fish (in the oven).
