Lemon juice is an indispensable tool in many household chores. In addition to cooking, there are a huge number of options for its use. For example, cleaning the microwave or kettle from scale. But it’s not uncommon for situations when there was an idea to cook something tasty, but this citrus fruit , as luck would have it, was not at hand. In this case, a logical question arises: "Is it possible to replace lemon juice with other products without compromising taste?". It turns out that you can correct the situation in several ways.
What recipes use lemon juice?
It is generally accepted that ascorbic acid is the most valuable substance possessed by lemon. It is able to tone the body, improves memory and concentration, and is also the number one tool for the development of an inflammatory process in the body or an infectious disease. It has a low calorie content.
As for the use in cooking, in this area, lemon juice is also in demand and the love of hostesses. It is good in the following cases:
- As a salad dressing, it is often one of the ingredients in the sauce.
- In pickling cucumbers or tomatoes.
- Suitable for preparing thirst-quenching drinks.
- A frequent ingredient in the recipe for creams.
To enhance the taste of the selected spices for meat or fish, before you put the product in the oven, it is necessary to pour it with a small amount of juice. It is worth noting that lemon juice makes the meat texture softer.
You can purchase a concentrate to replace fresh citrus. It is sold in many grocery hypermarkets. Unlike the lemon itself, such a solution will always be at hand, it is stored for a long time, and does not differ in taste.
Replacing lemon juice in drinks
Fresh sour citrus contains almost half of the recommended daily intake of vitamin C. Therefore, it is often used to make “vitamin” cocktails. In the absence of fresh lemon, it is quite possible to replace it with orange, mandarin or grapefruit. They also have ascorbic acid in their composition.
The use of fruit juices
In the preparation of some dishes, as well as drinks, lemon juice is used because of its ascorbic acid content. It can also be obtained from other analog fruits: grapefruit or sour apples.
To extinguish soda, cranberry, lingonberry or sea buckthorn juice without sugar is suitable, berry concentrates can also be used.
How to replace lemon juice yet? A great alternative is berries. It has long been known that they can not only replace this citrus fruit in taste, but also enrich the dish with vitamins. Berry juice contains many useful substances. They have a beneficial effect on digestion and skin condition. Thus, berries are a good answer to the question of how to replace lemon juice in the recipe for jelly, jam, fruit sauce, jelly or meat sauce. It is important to note that if you plan to use it for marinade meat or fish dishes, it is not recommended to use the option with sugar content. For such purposes, it is best to choose pomegranate or grape juices.
When making jam, unsweetened fruit juices help preserve all the useful components of the berries and make the product not only tasty, but also healthy. Even after prolonged storage, this jam will retain its original consistency and will not be sugared.
Vinegar Replacement
As a rule, the lack of lemon is a serious problem in the preparation of dessert dishes: pastries, cakes and various creams. However, skilled housewives have long found a way out of the situation and do not worry when citrus is not at home, and do not run to the store to bring their own idea to the end.
You can easily replace lemon juice with vinegar. Almost every house has a wine or apple. In this case, 1 tbsp. Will be sufficient. l natural vinegar.
In extreme cases, a 6% concentration ordinary table is suitable. It can be used for making sweet creams, and for dressing cold dishes. Table vinegar is mixed with olive oil. Especially tasty dressing is obtained during the preparation of light salads in the summer. If a 9% solution is used, it is recommended to dilute it with water in equal proportions.
Five tablespoons of regular table vinegar can replace half a cup of citric acid. That is, this method is more economical.
The use of citric acid
Another easy way to replace fresh citrus. Before replacing lemon juice with citric acid and proceeding to the procedure itself, you need to decide what kind of taste you want to get in the end: pronounced, with a touch of acidity or less saturated. The concentration of the solution will depend on this. For the standard version, 1 tbsp. l the powder is diluted in warm water (50 ml). To enhance the taste and give the dish acidity, it is recommended to add half a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar. When using the product for the preparation of desserts, citric acid can be diluted with honey.
It is especially convenient to use lemon powder if the task is to prepare homemade paste for shugaring. Sometimes it’s enough just to pour it, even without adding water.
How to replace lemon juice in the preparation of pickles
As a rule, acid citrus is indispensable in folk recipes for preservation. But what if there was no lemon at hand, and it was too late to run to the store? How to replace lemon juice in the preparation of marinade for vegetables? A great alternative is the same vinegar. The best substitutes will be wine, table or apple. A good option would be to use fruit vinegar. Such a solution not only maintains a pleasant, unsharp smell, but can also contribute to improving health.
In addition, the recipe for some fruit pies and other attractive desserts also allows the use of vinegar instead of citric acid. All that is needed is to add a couple of teaspoons before completing the dough.
Conclusion
It turns out that there are a huge number of ways to rectify the situation if there is no lemon in the house. Knowing how to replace lemon juice, you can almost always get out. In some cases, analog products can not only give an unforgettable aroma or taste to the dish, but also preserve the original qualities of the ingredients, which is important for those who are used to cooking with the soul.
Thus, instead of the usual compensation function, new flavor combinations can be obtained. However, sometimes there are not so many answers to the question of how to replace lemon juice without losing taste. In addition, sometimes it will be necessary to specifically measure concentrations and proportions so as not to spoil the taste of the dish and not make it acidic. But all this comes with experience.