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Lemons are an incredible powerful fruit with endless benefits for home and beauty. Even more powerful than the fruit is powder. Yep, lemon powder!
Today I want to share with you how to make lemon powder plus why you should use it.
Remember this post I shared last year about lemons? We talked in depth about the chemical aspects of lemon and why it is so beneficial for your health.
How To Make Lemon Powder
One of the sections mentioned that the lemon peel or rind houses many more potent chemicals compared to the flesh. That is why you see me using lemon peels all the time.
I will put an entire lemon in my smoothie in the mornings. Here is my favorite anti-inflammatory smoothie! Rind and all! It is very strong, but I want to get all those awesome benefits in the peel when I can.
Lemon zest is a great option for flavor in cooking and baking. Zest will hold flavor in high temperatures, so when you are making something lemony, it is the perfect addition. It also jazzes up vegetables, chicken, rice, and even pasta dishes.
I have been using lemon powder for everything including all my homemade cleaning solutions. It is cheaper than essential oils and packs a punch of color, flavor, and scent.
First, I will show you how to make your own. Then, I will talk more about some chemistry tips on it.
Ingredients:
6 organic lemons (or as many you want)
Directions:
1. Score the lemons like the photo below. This allows you to remove the peel easier. Try to get only the peel. (You can also use a peeler to get really thin strips from the top layer, but I prefer to cut them like this to get all the rind 🙂 )
2. Next, slice the lemon rinds into thin strips.
3. Place on a dry baking sheet, evenly distributed.
4. Bake at 200 degrees for a 2-3 hours until all the moisture has been removed (they will be crispy for the most part). This is like using a dehydrator. If you have a dehydrator, feel free to use that!
5. Allow the peels to dry completely. They should be the texture of a potato chip! Add them to a spice grinder (this actually works best) or food processor and pulse until powder.
6. Store in airtight container.
View the Video Below!
How to Use Lemon Powder
One teaspoon will be the same as 1 teaspoon of zest. You can substitute lemon powder for lemon extract in many recipes. It should be a 1:1 ratio.
For smoothies: add 1 teaspoon per 12-16 oz (Smoothie recipe for this tomorrow!)
For cleaning: If you own Chemistry Hacks for Home & Outdoors, use a few teaspoons in any recipe you want! I love adding it to the bathroom cleaners and kitchen cleaners.
Using Lemon Powder in The Garden
Lemon is an incredible chemical for your health, but it is also great for your plants. I use lemon powder when I plant new plants in a pot. Sprinkle the hole with a teaspoon of lemon powder and 1 teaspoon of epsom salt, plant your plant, and water well. I also periodically sprinkle lemon powder on top of the soil. Just like these chemicals are great for our bodies, they are also really beneficial for plants. For a thorough breakdown of the chemicals in lemons read this post on health and this post on skin.
What Lemon Does for Plants
- Increases acidity
- Adds in vitamins and minerals
- Keeps certain bugs away due to the citrus
Since doing this, my blooms are more vivid and healthy. The green of the plants is much darker too.
Chemist Tips on Lemon Powder
Like we shared in this post on the health benefits of lemon, lemon powder contains the powerhouse of vitamins, minerals, inflammation fighting properties and more.
The flesh of a lemon is also very healthy, but isn’t as useful for things like cleaning or adding to baked goods since it does contain sugars. But the flesh of a lemon is still healthy for eating or using!
Coming up next this week on Chemistry Cachet, follow along to see how I am using this lemon powder in my ultimate green smoothie!
Enjoy!!
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You are sooo productive!! Love the video, especially the music! Love mom
Thanks Mom! 🙂
I never thought to turn lemons into a powder… that’s kind of genius!
Thanks girl! It’s sooo helpful for things!
I’m not going to lie, you always blow my mind with these things! I’ve never even heard of lemon powder now I absolutely must make it! <3, Pamela Sequins & Sea Breezes
Thanks girl!!! This stuff is amazing and so fun to make!
I love all things lemon for cooking and cleaning, now I need that powder <3
Green Fashionista
This powder is amazing, so good for the garden too!
Thanks I found this interesting
Thanks Jo-Anne!
Oh wow… what a Monday morning eye opener – lemon powder! Sounds wonderful; does it smell just as good? Can I do this with orange peels, too? Look forward to your newsletter!
It smells so wonderful and after you make them, the house smells incredible! You can do this with orange as well for cleaning too. Orange doesn’t have as many of the inflammatory benefits for eating or for the garden, but smells so good too!
I really love the video!! So fun and educational!!
Thanks Megan! I love how versatile lemon powder is!
I like that you can use it for subtly flavoring a smoothie. I’d like that even though I don’t particularly like the strong taste of lemons, limes and other acidic fruits.
It is a great way to get the benefits of lemon without a strong taste 🙂
Would it be acceptable to dehydrate slices of lemon, pulp, peel, and all, and then powderize them?
You can definitely dehydrate the peel, the pulp won’t really have as many benefits chemically…but you can try using it if you would like to experiment! The peel is really the powerhouse for your health and if you use this for gardening 🙂
Great idea.! Great instructions! I wondered if you remove the pith or if the drying takes away the bitter taste of it? Thank you for the great post.
I try to get out as much as I can when I peel it, but the drying will take care of whatever you don’t get. It won’t have any bitter taste when you add it to a smoothie or anything like that 🙂 Thank you!!
Thank you so much for your quick response. Can’wait to try this!
Hope you enjoy it 🙂
This is such a cool post! I’ve never heard of lemon powder before. Thanks for linking up at the Home Matters Link Party! We hope to see you again next week:) #HomeMattersParty
It is such a neat addition for your health and garden!! 🙂 THank you!
I’m going to try this! Wonderful idea! What about limes? Any health benefits?
Thanks Alma! The limes might be good for a flavor addition, but they won’t have the same powerful health additions like the lemon 🙂
Can I add the lemon powder to my home made laundry liquid to increase cleaning power and infuse a citrus scent, or will the acidity neutralize my soap?
The lemon powder wouldn’t be good to add to laundry detergent. The scent wouldn’t hold up through washing. It works better for homemade cleaners 🙂