6 Ingenious Lemon Hacks You Will Thank Us For

When life gives you lemons, use them in your kitchen! That's right. Lemons can be useful in more ways than one and not just to add a tang to your meals. This bright citrus fruit is full of Vitamin C and great for your immunity but you can also use it as a great hack for many kitchen problems. Its acidic properties help in breaking down the most stubborn stains or odours and it is a great ingredient to tenderize your meats. Don't believe us? Here are few genius lemon hacks that will help you in the kitchen.

1. Use lemons to keep apples from browningYou can use lemon juice to keep apples from browning because it is full of ascorbic acid (vitamin C). Apples have an enzyme called polyphenol oxidase that is released from the cells and reacts with the oxygen in the air. This reaction results in the browning of the flesh of apples. The ascorbic acid prevents oxidation and further slows down the process of browning.
 

2. Clean your cutting boards with lemon

The stubborn food stains are tough to remove from light wood and plastic cutting boards. But lemon does the job. All you need to do is squeeze a lemon on the stained surface and rub for a few seconds and keep it on for about 20 minutes before rinsing it with clean water. You can also sprinkle salt before adding lemon juice to scrub it a bit.

3. Get rid of pungent odour

It can be quite annoying when your hand smell of onion or garlic. It becomes almost impossible to get rid of the pungent odour even after washing your hands. However, rubbing lemon juice on your hands can help neutralize odours from any pungent food. Just take some lemon juice and mix it in a bowl of water and rinse your hands. Now you know why finger bowls are served at restaurants once you are done eating with a slice of lime.

4. Kitchen sink cleaner

Kitchen sinks lose their shine and give birth to bacteria with constant use. It is imperative to sanitize your sink. All you need to do is to blend baking soda and lemon juice and pour it on the sink. Rub the mixture on the surface and rinse it with hot water after a few seconds. Doing this at least once a week will ensure a clean and sanitized sink. Lemon acts as a natural cleansing agent that breaks down dirt and grease.

5. Clean your microwave

Lemon is probably the easiest and the most convenient way to clean microwaves. Take half a cup of water in a microwave proof bowl, squeeze the lemon juice in water and drop the lemon shells in the bowl. Place the bowl in the microwave and heat it for about 3 minutes till the water comes to boil. Do not open the microwave door for another 2-3 minutes. The lime infused steam trapped inside will loosen the food stains and leave a fresh aroma. Open the door, remove the bowl and wipe the microwave surface to make it sparkle again.

6. Helps tenderize meat

The acid present in lemons help tenderize meat by gently breaking down fibers, leaving it delectably soft and succulent. While marinating your meat, you can add some lemon juice and keep it aside for a few hours to let the meat soak the juice.

These lemon hacks can come handy anytime, so you must bookmark them.