Lemon zest is the yellow part of the lemon rind. (Zest can be taken from the rind of any citrus.) The aromatic oils in the zest of a lemon—and other citrus–are the strongest just after zesting. So remove the zest just before using if you can. (Zest will keep in the freezer for up to
Ade–such as lemonade and limeade–is a drink made by combining water, sugar and citrus juice. Citrus juices have a thirst quenching ingredient. Here are two simple recipes for lemonade: Lemonade for One Squeeze the juice from one lemon and add 1 tablespoon of sugar. Pour on one cup of boiling water, and cool. Lemonade for
Lettuce is the most popular leafy vegetable. You can plant enough leaf lettuce for a family of four in a 1-sqaure foot area, enough head lettuce in a 2-square foot area. Plant spring lettuce between rows of larger crops such as cabbage or broccoli. Lettuce can be sown in the garden as early as four
Limes, lime juice, and lime peels can be used in marmalade, jam, sorbet, chutney, pickles, salad dressing, and desserts. Limes can be important additions in sauces, fish and meat dishes and in punches and cocktails. Lime juice in small amounts accentuates the flavor of other foods. In any recipe that calls for a lemon, a
Can you remember what you were doing 4 months ago today? Well, if you are a bunch of celery, you were probably just getting your start on life, germinating as a little seed. And today, you are ready to make an appearance on a snack tray, in a salad or a soup. Most varieties of
Japapeno pepper seed Slice open a hot pepper and you will see tiny blisterlike sacs on the inner wall of the pepper. These sacs contain capsaicinoids or organic chemicals. Capsaicinoids make peppers hot. The more sacs you see on the inside of a pepper the hotter the pepper will be. When a pepper is cut
A tomato-rich sauce for pasta is a variation on a theme. You know your favorite pasta sauce and when the tomato harvest comes in summer, you have the opportunity to can your favorite tomato-based sauces for the year to come and capture the flavors of summer. There are quick ways to put up pasta sauce
How to Choose Chili Peppers–Jalapeno, Thai, Serrano, Habanero, Scotch Bonnet The potent spicy heat you experience eating chili peppers is caused by capsaicin, a colorless, odorless, waxy compound found in the white pith of the pepper’s inner wall where the seeds are attached. Capsaicin is an irritant to most mammals—including humans; the sensation it leaves
Planting Garlic: Garlic requires a long season for optimal yield; garlic’s long season of growth must include 6 or more weeks of chilly weather for optimal bulb or head production. Garlic is a cool-weather perennial plant commonly planted in the cool of autumn or in early spring. Garlic–which is often classified as an herb–is grown
Clay soils are too wet or too dry, slow to drain, slow to warm in the spring, and slow to release nutrients to plant roots. The best way to improve clay soil is to add several inches of organic matter such as aged compost to planting beds regularly—at least twice a year–and work it into
