Frozen lemon: medicinal properties and use in cooking

Everyone knows about the benefits of lemon.However, the fact that the healing properties of citrus significantly increase during freezing, it is known to few. Meanwhile, with this treatment, the antioxidant, antitumor, cough and immunostimulating properties of lemon are increased.

High and low temperatures act negatively on most products, causing irreversible changes in the composition. However, this is unfair for lemon, which, when frozen, not only retains almost all of its useful components, but also multiplies them, expanding its inherent properties. The fact is that citrus has a dense skin that preserves the flesh.

Understanding what happens to lemon after freezing allows comparison of the fruit composition in usual conditions (room) and its composition, but after low-temperature exposure. The fruit is known for its sour taste, due to its high content of vitamin C and organic acids.

Continuing the conversation about vitamin C, it should be noted that it acts as a natural antioxidant. The main task of the latter is to bind free radicals in the body. Such radicals are very dangerous. The fact is that they are a "broken" molecule, on the outer shell of which there is not enough electron. As a result, such a molecule is attached to the cell, disrupting its work. Than it is fraught for an organism, we will consider further.

Lemon juice is water in which vitamins and minerals are dissolved. When freezing, ordinary water becomes structured. By its properties, it is close to the one that washes the internal organs of man. The structured fluid is absorbed by the cells immediately, without requiring “cleaning” when ingested. That is, freezing allows the “water” inside the lemon to be structured. Although this is not necessary, since it is believed that in vegetables and fruits that contain a lot of water, it is initially structured.

Vitamin composition of lemon is represented by B vitamins, tocopherol, nicotinic acid. Frozen lemon keeps them almost in full. The level of these vitamins may decrease slightly - up to 5-15%. Only citrine, also known as vitamin P, is completely destroyed. It is contained in the white part of the lemon (between the crust and the pulp) and helps maintain the strength and elasticity of the walls of small vessels, that is, capillaries.

Trace elements (potassium, magnesium, sodium, phosphorus, calcium), as well as iron (macronutrient) and fiber during freezing remain in the same amount. It is not fully understood what happens to phytoncides, which are also quite a few in the composition, but it can be stated unequivocally that they do not turn into dangerous or toxic compounds. In the freezer, the lemon retains the same caloric content as fresh - about 36 kcal per 100 g.

In the previous section, it was said that due to the better preservation of vitamins C and E in the frozen product, the antioxidant effect of citrus significantly increases. The benefits of antioxidants for the body is that they prevent radicals from settling on the surface of healthy cells.

If this happens, the healthy cell begins to develop and function incorrectly, which is the cause of the neoplasm. Antioxidants recognize even those radicals that have already “sat down” on the cell. If possible, they try to remove defective molecules from healthy cells. In other words, frozen citrus is a truly miraculous product that kills cancer cells and prevents their appearance.

As already mentioned, lemon contains a large number of biologically active compounds, called flavonoids.They provide the sun shade of citrus, and in the human body they affect metabolic processes and are responsible for the production of enzymes.

In the lemon, among others, there are polymetoxy-flavones working against cancer (reviews of patients and their relatives, as well as recent scientific studies suggest that these flavonoids block the growth of tumors in the colon, stop the spread of metastases and promote their self-destruction). It is not quite known how to fully deliver these flavonoids into the body, scientists are working on it. The inhabitants, who care about their health, tend to regularly consume sour fruit. And freezing, as a way to preserve more flavonoids, in this case is fully justified.

As already mentioned, ascorbic acid is best preserved when it is frozen. It shows an immunostimulating, tonic and anti-cough effect. Juice of frozen lemon is a natural antiseptic that can defeat many diseases of viral and bacterial etiology, become a remedy for vitamin deficiency.

Potassium and magnesium during freezing are also stored in full. They help maintain the health of the heart muscle, making it stronger and more durable. Potassium also shows anti-edema effects, and magnesium helps fight muscle hypertonia.

The components of the frozen fruit help reduce the "bad" cholesterol and increase the elasticity of the vascular walls. As a result, the likelihood of developing atherosclerosis, heart attacks, and strokes is reduced. Frozen lemon can also be considered a detox product. Firstly, it contains structured water, which is absorbed without a load on the liver. Secondly, due to the presence of antioxidants, it is possible to remove toxins and poisons from the body. Such an effect in itself is good for the liver.

In addition, fiber is preserved in the fruit. Walking through the intestines, it collects toxins and toxins, improves motility. This, in turn, stimulates a sharp release of bile from the liver and means cleansing the latter. Again, thanks to dietary fiber, bile is eliminated from the intestines, without causing heartburn.

The high content of acids makes citrus from the freezer useful for digestion with a low content of gastric juice. Together with fiber organic acids accelerate the process of food processing, making it more qualitative. As a result, fermentation processes in the intestine and the death of beneficial microflora are excluded.

It should be understood that, for all its usefulness, frozen lemon cannot replace drug preparations. He demonstrates the best effect in the treatment of diseases as part of complex therapy. Despite the antitumor effect of the product, it is impossible to neglect those treatment regimens that the doctor suggests, based on the nature and stage of the disease, as well as the state of health of the patient.

Like all citrus fruits, lemon is a strong allergen. Freezing it does not alter this characteristic in any way; therefore, the consumption of fruit from the freezer is contraindicated in case of its individual intolerance.

A large amount of acid makes the product dangerous with increased acidity of gastric juice. It should be abandoned for ulcers, gastritis, as well as pancreatitis and inflammatory diseases of the pancreas. In the latter case, increases the production of enzymes that begin to attack the gland itself, and not to participate in the digestion of food.

Despite the positive effects of frozen lemon on the vessels, it can be dangerous in hypertension. On the one hand, the product cleans the blood channels, which contributes to lower pressure. On the other hand, when lemon is consumed, the vascular tone increases, which can provoke a sharp pressure jump.

Freezing lemon for the winter at home does not take much time and does not require special culinary skills.For this treatment, you need to choose medium sized lemons that have reached technical maturity. Their peel should not contain hints of dryness or decay, as well as damage.

Do not buy lemons with beautiful glossy skin. This is evidence that they are treated with chemical compounds that improve the transportability of fruits. The benefits of such citruses and their ability to be stored in the cold raise great doubts.

Having bought the "right" fruit, they should be thoroughly washed using a soft brush. It is unacceptable to rub the fruit with a knife or an iron brush, as this may cause damage to the peel. Any violation of its integrity is fraught with a decrease in the healing components, as well as penetration of pathogenic bacteria.

Then you need to put the lemons in one layer in the freezer and leave there for 4-6 hours, you can overnight. If the technique allows, you should set the lowest temperature, since the chemical composition of the lemon can be fully preserved only during extreme freezing. Next, you need to get the fruit from the freezer and quickly rub it on a coarse grater. The resulting chips should be folded in a container or plastic bag and re-stored in the freezer for further storage.

Another option for making lemon - freezing juice from it. To do this, the fruit, along with the bones in the fresh form, must be twisted through a meat grinder or processed with a blender. The resulting mixture should be folded into clean gauze in two layers and squeezed. If there is a juicer, the process will be faster and less time consuming. Then the juice is poured into bags or ice molds and frozen. In order to more ergonomic distribution of products in the freezer, frozen lemon ice can be removed from the molds and folded into a package.

Another way to preserve a healthy fruit for the winter is to make lemon cubes. To do this, the prepared fruits must be cut in half and, squeezing each half in turn, squeeze the juice out of them. The remaining pulp together with the crust is cut into small pieces or turned into mashed potatoes using a blender. You must first remove the bones. Then this mass is mixed with juice and also placed in ice molds.

Frozen lemon is not only a tasty and savory additive to a large number of dishes, but also a medicine. The easiest way to use a product is to add a small amount to tea when brewing. You can take herbal broths or the usual tea (black or green). Similarly, you can make lemon "cubes" in cocktails, water, compotes, fruit drinks. Such drinks are especially useful during the season of flu and colds during the period of beriberi.

With the help of frozen citrus can be prepared tonic composition. It is enough to take 2-3 cubes per glass of water and add a tablespoon of liquid honey to them. This drink is recommended to use in the morning for 20 minutes before breakfast. He will wake the body, prepare the organs of the digestive tract to eat.

Ice rind can be put in the dough for baking. As well as fresh, it will give a delicate citrus “sound” and a pleasant yellowish tinge to biscuits and pies. However, it is much more convenient to use it, unlike the fresh analogue. The frozen product is always at hand, it can be taken exactly in the quantity required. If the peel is removed from the fresh lemon, and its further consumption stretches for 2-3 days, then the pulp quickly dries out.

When slicing lemons or breaking them with a blender, choose knives and nozzles with a special coating that will prevent metal from contacting the fruit. Due to the high acid content in the latter, such a “meeting” can cause citrus mass oxidation, which will significantly reduce its properties.

Squeezing juice or chopping citrus, act as quickly as possible. The fact is that the highest concentration of some vitamins is observed in the first 20-40 minutes of their contact with oxygen. Then the concentration decreases. Try to keep within this time, having cut and spreading juice or mashed potatoes on molds and having sent the last in the freezer.

About what is the use of frozen lemon, see the following video.