Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Preserved Lemons

With lemons in abundance here is a great recipe to preserve lemons.

You will need:
5 (about 600g) small to medium lemons
145g (1/2 cup) sea salt
375-500ml (1 1/2-2 cups) fresh lemon juice
1L glass gar with a plastic lined lid

What you need to do:
Wash and dry a 1L (4-cup) capacity glass jar with a plastic or plastic-lined lid (a metal lid could corrode). Wash and dry lemons to remove any surface dust or dirt. Scrub the skin to lift any dirt or grit that is hard to remove.

Cut one end of each lemon, about 5mm from the base, so they sit flat. Place 1 lemon at a time, cut-side down, on a chopping board and cut lengthways into quarters without cutting all the way through to the base.

Repeat with remaining lemons. Place the lemons, in a single layer, in a freezer bag and expel air. Seal and place in freezer overnight. Remove from freezer and transfer to the fridge to thaw for 6 hours or overnight. This helps soften the rind and speeds up the maturation process.

Fill each lemon with as much salt as possible. Salt extracts juice from the lemon, softening the rind. Push lemons into jar. Sprinkle over remaining salt.

Pour over enough lemon juice to completely cover lemons. Seal, label and date. Place in a cool place, away from direct sunlight, for at least 4 weeks. Once lemons have settled in jar, you might need to add more lemon juice to ensure the lemons remain covered. The lemons will start to soften and might start to float. As a result, they may not stay entirely covered with juice and may develop a harmless white mould.

To use, remove a lemon from brine and rinse under cold running water. Pat dry with paper towel. Use a sharp knife to cut flesh from rind. Discard flesh. Cut off white pith from rind. Discard pith.

 

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

The health benefits of lemons

Lemons are a super food that have a great range of health benefits. Here are some of the benefits of lemons, but remember there are a few of us that are allergic to lemons so best to check first.

1. Lemons may fight against infection. They assist in the production of White blood cells and antibodies in the blood which attack the nasties trying to enter your body.
2. Lemons have antioxidant properties which fight against free radicals in the body.
3. Lemons may lower blood pressure and increase levels of good cholesterol.
4. Lemons may be linked to lowering some forms of cancer.
5. A few drops of lemon in water in the morning may help purify the liver and digestive system.


Keep a look out for a great preserved lemon recipe in the coming blogs.

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

How Garlic Can Save Your Life

Research on garlic indicates that it may provide an ideal low-cost and safe alternative to drugs and vaccines in reducing the three most common causes of death in the world. The picture below shows 5 reason why you should include garlic in your diet.


So get crushing and add garlic to your breads, salads and vegetables.

Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Home Remedies for Sunburn

Going out into the sun to have a little fun outdoors is a commonplace thing when occasion and the season calls for it. Unfortunately, some individuals who possess very sensitive skin may find that their short stint outdoors can result in unfortunate minor discomforts. Sunburn is a very common thing to get during summer, especially if you find yourself out on the beach or the fields for the majority of the day. 
 
Here are some great ways to treat sunburn at home with things that you can find even in your own pantry or cupboard:
 
Honey – honey is an excellent emollient and healing salve. Applying honey to burnt, injured, or sunburnt skin not only helps to soothe the injury, but the natural antimicrobial agents found in honey help to stave off infection and hasten healing. Honey may prove to be difficult and somewhat messy to apply, so you may opt to dilute the honey to facilitate faster and easier application.
 Calendula oil – calendula oil is an excellent remedy for burns and skin injuries. Calendula oil is best used for very sensitive or delicate sunburnt areas, such as the facial areas. Calendula oil is also best employed even well-after the recovery of the sunburnt area, in order to nourish the skin and help in the conditioning and rejuvenation of the damaged areas.
Marshmallow root – a strong tea of marshmallow root, allowed to cool and employed as a rinse to the affected area helps to provide a cooling and soothing effect. Marshmallow root is also known to hasten the healing of topical injuries, making it an excellent remedy for sunburn, especially when applied to large affected areas.
Corn Flour – minor sunburn that cause mild or minimal discomforts can be remedies by a quick dusting of corn flour. Corn flour helps to absorb the skin moisture and sweat, preventing discomfort caused by the skin acid’s reaction with the injured skin. Only use corn-starch sparingly however, and opt for other remedies if your sunburn shows signs of blistering or lesions.
Yoghurt – when applied topically to the affected area, yoghurt helps to provide much needed relief for moderate to severe sunburn. The lactose found in yoghurt not only helps to nourish the skin and help hasten healing, but the live microbes found in the substance may help to encourage the regeneration of skin, as well as prevent infection. For a more soothing remedy, cool the yoghurt in your freezer or chilly bin prior to application.
 
Potatoes – believe it or not, potatoes have long been considered an excellent remedy for skin injuries such as burns and sunburn. To employ said remedy, you may either boil and mash potatoes, and apply the mashed substance to the affected area, or otherwise blend raw potatoes in a food processor and apply the substance to the affected area – both of which elicit the same effect. To increase its therapeutic properties, you may opt to add chilled milk or yoghurt.
Baths and soaks – one of the most overlooked remedies for moderate and severe cases of sunburn is a well-deserved bath or soak. Bathing in cool water should help to relieve the localised pain. Adding small amounts of vinegar, baking soda, or essentials oils such as that of lavender, peppermint, rose, or clove for soaks not only allows for the hastening of healing, but also encourages the faster regeneration of skin while at the same time, staving off infection.