How to Master Your Kitchen

If you are a regular reader of my blog, you might know of my infatuation with lemons. I love lemon products and whether the recipe calls for lemon zest or juice, it doesn't matter. In fact, I have a jar of lemon curd in my refrigerator that calls for both lemon zest and lemon juice and I just straight up eat the lemon curd out of the jar with a spoon. Call me gross if you want. 
I want to encourage you to use freshly squeezed lemon juice anytime a recipe calls for lemon juice. Why? Because freshly squeezed is the best, it has more flavor than the bottled variety, you know there aren't any preservatives in freshly squeezed and don't even try and give me the excuse bottled lemon juice is easier.
You can't give me that excuse especially if you have a juicer. There are a ton of different types of juicers out there and no I'm not necessarily talking the heavy duty juicers to make a green monster. There are citrus specific juicers. Here are a few examples.

juice away

These juicers can range from $10 like the wooden one, which is what I have to the $200 Breville juicer.  Whether you go low or high end, the result is still the same, freshly squeeze juice. The only different is having to deal with the seeds and pulp with the wooden juicer but if you don't have $200 to blow then a strainer will help with that. 
All you do is slice the lemon, orange, lime in half at the equator mark, then use whatever juicer you have to extract the juice. Trust me, your recipes will taste a lot more fresh and vibrant with freshly squeezed juice than that you have no idea how long it has been sitting on the store shelf bottle of juice.
If you want recipes that I have blogged about that use lemon juice, here is a great recipe for lemon bars,  a lemon blueberry cake, lemon raspberry bars, lemon blackberry cupcakes, pink lemonade bars. I promise at one point I will put some up savory recipes using lemon juice.
Until then, juice away my friends, juice away! 

16 comments:

Unknown said...

MMMM i am a lemon freak also (i always eat the slice on the side of a glass). a juicer is one of the glaringly lacking pieces of my kitchen (along with a wok, ladle, and a decent set of wooden spoons). Now I want fresh lemonade ASAP!!

<3becky
www.loosefromthezoo.com

Alissa said...

I am JUST now getting into lemons! This weekend I am making lemon bars so this post is super timely. Thanks!

REBrown said...

We got a juicer when we got married and I rarely use it - I need to get on that!

Olga Zgonnik said...

I used to use a juicer all the time and then stopped and completly forgot about it, need to start again! but I recently started adding lemon to my water as it is supposed to be good for you, so baby steps :)

www.anightinnyc.blogspot.com

birdie to be said...

I miss all of our kitchen essentials back home. We are working off the bare minimums here in Dublin!

Joy said...

I'm begging the Mr for a lemon tree for our yard! I love to cook with lemons and I'm thinking it would save us money in the long run, right? Plus, it would give me an excuse to buy some cool juicer! =)

awhite said...

Fresh > bottled, I agree!

I do need a juicer- how cute and chic is that wooden version? Love.

-Ashley
http://lestylorouge.com

whit | Black Little Button blog said...

There is a little recipe book I received that has a ton of lemon ones in them! :)
-wHiT

Courtney said...

we got a juicer for our wedding and i have yet to use it... ive been wanting to, just havent gotten around to it... youve inspired me :)

McKenna Lou said...

I love my juicer! I bought it for $20 at bed bath and beyond with some left over wedding gift cards. The Mr thinks it was a waste of $20 because he thinks I never use it. Granted I could use it more, but every time I do use it, it makes my day. I always make sure he comes into the kitchen so i can say... "See... It was worth the money!" He just laughs! xx. McKenna Lou
www.lynnandlou.com
p.s. We are so excited about our newest giveaway c/o Honey Press! Be sure to check it out: http://www.lynnandlou.com/2013/03/the-honey-press.html

{The Perfect Palette} said...

Thats it. I need a juicer :)

Postcards from Rachel said...

I need that strainer. I hate getting lemon seeds in everything!

MILEX said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Annemarie said...

I love this post! I've needed a juicer for lemons forever! I'm totally getting one now! x

Carol {Everyday Delights} said...

I am so with you on the lemons thing! I told Nick I seriously want a lemon tree someday! I don't know if they would grow in Seattle though or if it gets too cold in the winter. Research is needed!

Sarah Alway said...

Lemon stuff is amazing... these are great tools!