Grated lemon zest - what is it? What are the beneficial properties of lemon zest for the body?
The zest is a thinly cut yellow peel from a lemon. It contains essential oils that have a fragrant scent. It has a bitter-sweet taste, a little cloying. Lemon zest is both a spice and a medicine. Its beneficial properties are explained by the vitamins and minerals it contains.
Thanks to this, it is a good preventative against colds, a good antibacterial agent, and can be used to treat gums when they bleed. It reduces cholesterol levels in the blood and has a beneficial effect on heart function. It is advisable to use lemon zest for lovers - it is a weak aphrodisiac.
But if you mix the zest with wine, chocolate, honey or some spices, its benefits are enhanced. These spices include cloves, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, mint, and black pepper. Therefore, lemon zest is widely used in cooking. Pies, charlottes, muffins, buns, and ice cream cannot do without it. It adds a delicate aroma to sweet dishes. Lemon zest also improves the taste of salads and cold vegetable soups if it is added to a dish immediately before serving. Add the zest to hot soups just before the end of cooking or half a minute after finishing cooking. The zest is used when preparing meat and fish rolls. It is also suitable for preparing stuffed fish, jellied meats and casseroles.
You can buy it for use in the seasoning department, but most often housewives prepare it at home themselves. Do you know, how to make zest at home with your own hands?