Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice, Great for Cooking, Baking, in Recipes and as a Flavor Enhancer

I love lemons! I drink lemon water first thing in the morning before I drink anything else. It helps stimulate digestion, it also alkalizes your body, boosts your immune system, boosts energy, promotes healthy skin, reduces inflammation, aids in weight loss, reduces mucus and phlegm, boosts brain power, has antibacterial and antiviral properties, just to name a few health benefits.

Now to get the most bang for your lemon buck, here are a few tips.

Lemon Juice

As the old adage goes “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade”, but make sure you’re getting the most juice for your effort:

1. To get the juiciest lemon, you want to choose one with a thin skin.
2. Look for a lemon with a smooth skin instead of a textured skin, that’s a clue that the skin is thin. Small to medium lemons tend to be thinner skinned than large ones. Also look for lemons that seem heavy for their size. That is also an indicator of a juicy lemon.
3. You want to get the most juice from your lemon. To do this, roll the lemon around on the counter first, applying pressure to the lemon as you roll it, then place it in the microwave for 30 seconds. This will release more of the lemon’s juice.
4. Using a juicer or a reamer will help to get the most juice you can.
5. You can expect about 3 or 4 tablespoons of juice from a single lemon.
6. If you need less than that, you can always freeze the extra juice for up to 3 months.

10 tips for Using Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice

• Add More Zip to Your Meals

There is nothing like fresh squeezed lemonade on a hot summer day, but there is so much more you can do with fresh squeezed lemon juice.

For instance:

1. Use it as a flavor enhancer, just as you would a pinch of salt.
2. Add a tablespoon or 2 to a stew at the end of cooking, it will help to marry all the flavors together.
3. Give seafood a little kick with a marinade of olive oil, lemon juice, fennel or dill.
4. Like butter on your food? Mix some lemon juice, zest and minced garlic into softened butter, chill, then cut into slices and place on top of grilled fish, meats and vegetables.
5. For a switch in your everyday salad dressing use lemon juice instead of vinegar.
6. Just before serving cooked vegetables, drizzle with some lemon juice to bring out their flavor.
7. Use lemon juice and stock to deglaze your pan, it will make a delicious sauce or glaze for fish or vegetables.
8. When making a fresh fruit salad, don’t forget the lemon juice. The acid in the juice will keep your cut apples, bananas, and other fruit from turning brown too quickly.
9. And who can pass up a tall refreshing glass of iced lemon water on a hot summer day? Zero calories, big calorie taste.
10. There is nothing like some fresh squeezed lemon juice in your hot tea in the winter.

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