How to Make Lemon Oil With Your Meyer Lemons

Lemon oil can be used for a wide array of useful purposes. Check out this guide to learn how to make essential lemon oil with your Meyer lemons.

Meyer lemons are one of the lesser-known varieties of lemons. Yet these lemons are readily available, cheap, and good for your health. You can use them to make lemon oil which has many and varied uses — from making cleaning agents to skincare.

The best part is that you can make this lemon essential oil from the comfort of your home. In fact, all you need is the lemons and a cup of coconut oil. But, don’t take my word for it!

Follow these 6 simple steps to make oil from Meyer lemons:

1. Give the Lemons a Thorough Wash

Wash 4-5 lemons thoroughly under cold water. Use your hands or a vegetable brush to rub the skin to remove pesticides and disease-causing germs.

Dry them with a clean rag or paper towels after washing.

2. Peel the Skin Off

Use a peeler, zester, or a kitchen knife to remove the skin from your Meyer lemons gently. Keep the peels in a separate medium-sized glass or steel container for use later on. The yellow part of the peels contains lemon oil.

After peeling, add one cup of coconut oil to the peeled skin and submerge them. If you don’t have coconut oil, you can use sweet almond oil.

3. Bring Water to Boil

Add water halfway in a medium-sized pot, then bring it to boil.

Turn the heat setting to low such that the water retains its temperature. If you leave a high setting on, your lemon oil might evaporate, and you’ll miss out on the vast Meyer lemon peel benefits.

4. Place the Bowl on the Pot of Hot Water

Place the bowl with lemon peels over the pan with boiling water. Ensure the heat is set to low and wait for it to extract from the peels. The processes should take about 20 minutes.

You might have to wait longer if you used more Meyer lemons. Luckily, it is easy to know when the lemon oil has infused into the coconut oil just by looking.

5. Cool and Strain the Mixture

Turn off the heat and remove the pan containing Meyer lemon oil from the pot. Use tongs or kitchen gloves to lift the hot bowl to avoid injuring yourself. Leave the oil to cool to room temperature for about 2-3 hours.

Afterward, pass the mixture through a sieve or a clean cloth to separate your oil from the peels. Sieve it twice if the first pass didn’t eliminate all particles. You don’t want to end up with oil that is full of tiny peels.

6. Store the Lemon Oil in a Cool, Dry Place

Pour your lemon oil into a jar with a tight lid and place the container in a cool, dry place. You can keep it in a refrigerator too. As long as you store it correctly, the oil should last for about a month before it goes bad.

If you want to enjoy the benefits of lemon essential oil, follow these steps carefully. You should also use the correct ratio of lemons to coconut oil.

You've Done It!

There are many Meyer lemon oil uses. So, why the wait? Go ahead and make this essential oil to enjoy its immense benefits.

Take a look at our Citrus Simplified blog for more tips and healthy ways to use Meyer lemons and other citrus fruits.

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