Lemon Sugar

Lemon Sugar
Chef's notes

A simple sweetener enjoyed in tea or used as a light topping for ice cream and frosted deserts. Lemons' zest is mixed with sugar and sun dried on a parchment lined cookie sheet.
I start every day with a cup of hot water and lemon juice. Packed with 10 or 11 small lemons in 2 pound bags, each lemon provides the right amount of juice for each cup. 

Lemon sugar is a great by-product made with the zest of those lemons. When dried with a cup of sugar, yields about a cup and a half of lemon sugar. 

I experimented with several zester and graters. Zest collected from cheese type graters is too fine while zesters with a line of circular cutting holes were thick and long and required manual chopping. My personal preference is a "Microplane Sharper Cutting Tools". I have an older version, model 40020 but a quick on-line search showed several apparently newer models, all highly rated.
What do I do with a new batch of lemon sugar every 10 or 11 days? I fill and label 8 oz. plain preserves jars and give them away to friends. Making and gifting lemon sugar also makes a wonderful fun project for children and grandchildren.
Important note: The inside of new preserve jars and their screw tops often have a stale odor. Whether new or used, I soak jars and tops with vinegar and water, rinse and sun-dry them. 

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Lemon Sugar

Ingredients

  • 2-pounds small lemons (about 10 or 11 lemons)
  • 1 cup granulated sugar

Instructions

  1. Use a "Microplane" type zester/grater to remove the zest from all lemons. In a bowl, combine zest with sugar. Combine thoroughly.

  2. Spread on a cookie sheet lined with parchment. Place it outside in the sun. After about an hour, break clumps, mix and re-spread. Pending the strength of the sun and temperature, they will be dry anywhere from about 2 to 4 hours. You also can oven dry in an over set to 90°to 100°.

  3. When ready, place mixture in a zip lock bag. Use a meat pounder or rolling pin to remove clumps. 

  4. Store the lemon sugar in tightly sealed container(s).
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