Forfight viruses and winter fatigue, we need vitamin C. However, since it is a vitamin that our body does not store, the only way to benefit from its antioxidant properties every day is … to consume it every day! And this is where the recommendation “5 fruits and vegetables every day” takes on its full meaning since vitamin C is mainly found in winter fruits and vegetables (other foods have only a few traces).
Citrus fruits, a great source of vitamin C
As recommended byAprifel (the agency of fresh fruits and vegetables), the first measure to adopt in winter is to always have at home the winter vitamin C concentrates such as citrus fruits, kiwi, parsley. “Citrus fruits (oranges, lemons, grapefruit, clementines) keep well and their thick skin preserves vitamin C”, essential for stimulating the immune system. In addition, in this cool period, colds multiply and the orange has the particularity of alleviating its symptoms.
Play lemon juice everywhere, on fish, in vinaigrette, to spice up raw vegetables or cooked vegetables (50/50 vinegar-lemon): the juice of half a lemon alone provides 20% of our daily vitamin C needs.
Citrus fruits are useful in cleansing the body. They are low in calories, on the one hand. But also a source of fiber, in order to facilitate transit! If grapefruit has a positive effect against cholesterol and helps boost the immune system, especially in winter (that from Florida is eaten from November to March), lemon is known to detoxify the liver.
To note : citrus fruits (pomelo, oranges, clementines, lemons) can be stored very easily for 5 to 6 days at room temperature or 10 days in the refrigerator.
In the large citrus family, I would like …
- Orange. The navel, with its thick skin, is eaten as a table fruit. Blood is perfect for juice. As for the Maltese, it offers a tender and juicy flesh, to squeeze or to chew.
- Grapefruit. Often mistakenly called “grapefruit”, it is actually a hybrid of orange and grapefruit.
- Lime. More tangy than lemon, it is used in cocktails, as a base for marinades, in recipes with coconut milk. Its zest also slips into cookies or cakes.
- The mandarin. Very sweet to the taste and very tasty, it contains a lot of seeds, unlike the clementine that comes from it.
- The lemon. Irreplaceable on fish, raw vegetables and cut fruits that it prevents from blackening, lemon should be chosen organic if possible, as soon as its zest is used.
- The citron. In France, it is found in the South-East and in Corsica. It is mainly prepared confit or in jams.
- The hand of Buddha. Spectacular due to its shape, this variety of citron can be conferred or used, cut into thin slices, with fish or hot stewed dishes: curries, sautéed rice …
- Bergamot. It can be found in certain delicatessens or organic stores. Its zest perfumes Earl Gray tea.
- The kumquat. This mini-orange can be crunched like a candy (be careful, strongly acidic taste!) Or cut into slices to spice up fruit salads or accompany poultry.
Lemon cake, grapefruit salad, orange cake or citrus gratin… There are many citrus-based recipes, whether with or without added sugar, with or without an appliance. To consume citrus fruits other than in the form of juice, try the following recipes: from starter to dessert, we have used citrus fruits in all sauces. Enough to get you through winter in great shape.
Read also :
- 15 healthy cinnamon recipes
- 7 easy ways to cook chestnuts
- 10 fall recipes with apples
