Most people just throw away this important part of the lemon
Created: 06/17/2022, 12:56 p.m
By: Anne Tessin
Lemons are healthy, but most people always throw away an important part.
© David Ebener/dpa
Lemons are healthy, have a great taste and enrich many dishes.
But you also need the white parts of the citrus fruit.
Lemons are real
vitamin bombs
and also have a great taste.
But many only use the juice or just about the peel abrasion.
The whole fruit is valuable, including the white parts.
The layer that lies between the peel and the flesh of the lemon and all other citrus fruits has no name in German, so we make do with the somewhat clumsy term "das Weißen" or "die Weißen Haut".
Botanically correct, however, it is called mesocarp, i.e. "middle fruit".
There is so much good in the white of the lemon
The white of a lemon or orange is tough and is usually carefully removed.
Some people indulge in minute-long dissections, while others are a little more tolerant and eat a few white scraps with them.
The latter have several advantages: the white middle layer contains
just as much vitamin C as the pulp
.
It also contains
bioflavonoids
.
These antioxidants are designed to protect against free radicals.
And last but not least,
the white of the lemon
consists of
dietary fiber
, which is indigestible and thus provides a long-lasting feeling of satiety.
So if you eat whole lemons, you save calories too.
This is what the white of a lemon tastes like
The mouthfeel is a bit strange, but the taste test reveals: The whites of lemons and oranges
do not taste bitter
.
In fact, to most people's sensibilities, it's fairly tasteless.
If you absolutely cannot resist the feeling of eating, then you can try
pureeing the whole lemon including
the zest .
You can use it to give bland tap water a taste and make it even healthier at the same time.
Or you can use the fruit pulp for iced tea or other delicious drinks and dishes.
Indefinitely: These foods don't spoil as quickly
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Only use organic lemons
It should actually go without saying, but if you eat the peel as well, it's a must:
Only use lemons from controlled organic cultivation.
These have
no pesticides or antifungal agents
on the shell.
Unfortunately, organic lemons go moldy much faster, so you should
freeze the fruit
if you can't enjoy it right away.
Simply wash and dry them thoroughly beforehand and then place them whole in the freezer.
By the way: With a simple trick, lemons stay fresh much longer
.
(ante)