You could use a small saucepan instead of a kettle. Fill the saucepan halfway with water and boil it on the stove over high heat. If necessary, you could use hot tap water instead of boiled water. Make sure that the tap water is as hot as possible before pouring it over the lemons.
It’s best to work with only a few lemons at a time so that they can move around freely in the bottom of the colander. If you pile the lemons together, less of the peel will be visible, making it more difficult for the hot water to come into contact with the wax.
The heat of the water will partially melt the wax, loosening it from the peel and making it easier to strip away.
Scrub the lemons one at a time. It is important to use cold water. The boiling water heated the lemon peel, and the cold water quickly drops it back down to a more suitable temperature. Avoid using a brush or scrubbing sponge used for dishes. Soap residue inside the brush could get onto the fruit and contaminate the peel.
Lightly scrub the peel with your fingers during this step.
You could also allow the lemons to air dry on your kitchen counter instead of using paper towels. Only store dewaxed lemons after they have been thoroughly dry.
Work with only a few lemons at a time for best results. Do not stack the lemons on the plate. Stacking them can result in uneven heating, which may make it difficult to fully strip away the wax.
If you are only working with one or two lemons, only microwave them for 10 seconds. If you are working with three to six lemons, increase the amount of time to 20 seconds. The heat helps melt the wax. The softened wax will be easier to remove from the peel.
It’s best to scrub the lemons one at a time. Cool to cold water is ideal since it can cool down the lemon peels after they were heated in the microwave. Do not use a vegetable brush previously used with soapy water.
You can use your fingers to lightly scrub the peel during this step, but do not use the vegetable brush.
The lemons can also be air dried on the kitchen counter, but do not store them while they remain wet.
A commercial fruit and vegetable wash could be used instead of a homemade one. Another possible fruit and vegetable wash can be made by mixing 1 Tbsp (15 ml) fresh lemon juice, 1 Tbsp (15 ml), and 1 cup (250 ml) lukewarm water. Mix these ingredients together in a spray bottle. [9] X Research source
Allow the solution to sit on the lemons for two to five minutes before continuing. The acidity of the cleansing solution needs several minutes to weaken and dissolve the wax.
The temperature of the water is not as significant for this method since no heat was used previously, but lukewarm to cool water is still recommended since it is the least likely to alter the internal temperature of the lemon. Avoid using brushes or sponges that were previously used in soapy water. Each lemon only needs to be scrubbed briefly.
If you see any wax debris, you can use your fingers to lightly brush it off while rinsing the fruit. Do not use the brush during this step, however.
If desired, you can let the lemons air dry instead of drying them with paper towel. Do not store dewaxed lemons that are still wet.
