When life hands you lemons…Make lemon ice cubes!

Fun fact about yours truly – I don’t drink anything carbonated. Never have. Just don’t like the fizzy texture, which means that I don’t drink beer, soda or champagne. I have this MINUTE feeling of having missed out on something really fun in my lifetime by not indulging in carbonated beverages, but I’m fairly certain that my clear skin and moderate weight (at least during my college years) are all thanks to my exclusion of these carb-packed drinks.

Since I never really had a taste for carbonated, sugary drinks, I developed a monogamous relationship with water. It’s virtually the only thing I drink (aside from the occasional cocktail or margarita). To jazz up my H2O, I usually squeeze a little lemon juice over top – It’s the only flavor that I really love. I also ADORE the sweet, tart tang of lemon in cooking, but all that squeezing and chopping on a daily basis got a little old…

Then I had this idea (although I’m sure I’m not the first) to make it in bulk by freezing little lemony ice cubes.

Supplies:

  • Bag of lemons (I ended up using 4 lemons)
  • Juicer
  • Ice cube tray

I started by cutting my lemons in half and then I got my squeezing on. My sister gifted me this beautiful, pale green hand juicer – One of the few pieces of Le Creuset that I own.

Using a handheld strainer to separate the pulp, I slowly poured the freshly squeezed juice into the ice cube tray. I didn’t measure exactly, but I’d say that my 4 lemons yielded about a tablespoon’s worth in each ice cube compartment.

At the last minute, I went ahead and zested my lemons before discarding them, methodically grating the skins over a strip of wax paper. Once finished, I was left with a beautiful pile of yellow, fragrant goodness perfect for tossing into our next dinner recipe on a whim.

I simply folded up the wax paper and slipped it into the freezer along with my lemon ice cubes. It’s nice to know that I have my favorite flavor on hand any day of the month without having to race against fruit decomposition.

When life hands you lemons…

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