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Is It Ever Okay to Use Bottled Lemon Juice? And Other Urgent Citrus Questions

Everything you need to know to squeeze the most out of citrus season.
Image may contain Fruit Plant Food Citrus Fruit Orange Grapefruit Produce and Lime

You know how right when you thought things couldn't get bleaker, Netflix released Cheer and it was like you adjusted the brightness level on the world slash your phone just a little bit?

Well, that's sort of how it is with citrus season. You're smack dab in the middle of winter, halfway between apple season and berry season, and the only "holiday" to look forward to is Valentine's Day, which is just a product of capitalism anyway. But in that dark hour, the grocery stores seem to burst, all at once, with citrus of all shapes, sizes, and hues. There are the omnipresent lemons and limes, of course, but also the rarer varieties: pomelos, Sumo mandarins, Palestinian limes, bitter oranges, Ruby Red grapefruits. It's an oasis in the frozen tundra that is winter!

But how can you make the most of these undeserved riches? We're peeling back the layers of citrus—including whether it's ever okay to use bottled lemon juice and the one thing you should do before you get out your Microplane (you have one, right?)—below.

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  • Three Margaritas with salted rims and lime garnishes
    Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Judy Mancini
    1/8

    Don’t Leave the Grocery Store Without a Lemon And a Lime

    Make it a habit to toss one of each into your basket whenever you’re doing a big shop. Infinitely useful and boundlessly versatile, they keep for weeks in the fridge and you can almost never have too many. Just consider it Taco/Margarita/Vinaigrette Insurance.

  • Photo by Laura Murray
    2/8

    It’s (Almost) Never Okay To Use Store-Bought Citrus Juice

    We’d liken pre-bottled citrus juice to the Kidz Bop version of the original song: Sure, it’s practically the same—but anyone would know it’s not the real thing. The stuff you squeeze by hand has less time to oxidize and no funny preservatives, which means its flavor is brighter and more pronounced compared to the bitter or muted bottled versions.

    Besides, the OXO Citrus Juicer ($10, amazon.com) makes the task a cinch: It strains out seeds and pulp while measuring the amount of juice, meaning you can pour directly into your Paloma or pie filling. We do have one exception to the fresh-squeezed or bust rule: If you need a huge quantity—say you’re making margaritas for 20—splurge on one-ingredient juice, the kind that only lasts for a few days after opening (we like Natalie’s).

    And because we know you’re wondering… 
    1 lemon = 3 Tbsp. juice + 1 Tbsp. zest
    1 lime = 2 Tbsp. juice + 2 tsp. zest

  • 3/8

    Yeah, You’re Going to Need a Microplane

    If you’re not zesting your citrus, you’re throwing away a free ingredient—and most of the fruit’s fragrance. But trying to zest with a box grater is about as awkward as trying to comb your hair with a fork. The nimble Microplane is hands-down the best piece of equipment for shaving off the outermost layer of the fruit, rich with essential oils. Use zest when you want an intense citrusy aroma without the sourness or moisture of the juice itself, like in dry rubs, pancake batter, or creamy pasta.

    Buy it: Microplane Classic Zester/Grater, $14 on amazon.com

  • Photo by Laura Murray
    4/8

    But Wait! Before You Zest, Do This

    Scrub your citrus with warm water. Sometimes it’s coated in a wax preservative that definitely doesn’t belong in your cake batter. 

  • Photo by Alex Lau, Styling by Andy Baraghani
    5/8

    Anyone Can Cut Citrus Wheels

    If you were a culinary student in ‘95, we’d teach you how to cut pristine suprèmes, citrus segments with no pith or membrane. But your kitchen isn’t a fancy French restaurant. All you need to know to compose beautiful salads and breakfast bowls is how to cut wheels:

    1. First, cut a thin slice off each pole to expose the flesh

    2. Stand the fruit upright on a cutting board on its now-flat surface

    3. Using a sharp knife, cut from top to bottom to follow the natural contours, cutting away the white pith but leaving as much of the fruit as possible

    4. Trim away any clinging-on pith, then slice the fruit crosswise into circles

    5. Leave the circles intact or cut or tear them into irregular pieces, then snap a photo

  • Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Yekaterina Boytsova
    6/8

    Charring Citrus Is More Than Just A Cute Party Trick

    Applying direct heat to the cut fruit caramelizes its sugars and tames its acidity, producing juice that’s still bitter but now less pucker-inducing. To do it, lightly oil the halves, then place cut-side down on the grill or in a skillet until the surface is beginning to brown. Squeeze the juice over roast chicken, a porky pot of beans, or a pile of hard-roasted sweet potatoes with yogurt sauce.

  • Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Sue Li, Prop Styling by Kalen Kaminski
    7/8

    The “Secret Ingredient" Is Usually Citrus

    So we obviously can’t list them all. But here are 5 places where using a touch of citrus will make a dish taste special: 

    1. Toss a swath of lemon peel into your next pot of chickpeas or white beans

    2. Roast skin-on orange wheels with carrots or sweet potatoes

    3. Zest a lime over crispy-skinned salmon while it’s still warm, then spritz with juice

    4. Add a splash of orange juice and soy sauce to pan-fried tofu when it’s nearly finished

    5. Stir lemon zest into marinara sauce for freshness without acidity

  • Photo by Laura Murray, Food Styling by Mariana Velasquez 
    8/8

    The Hot List

    Lemons and limes are important—but not exactly thrilling. May we present 6 less common, super seasonal varieties we actually wait all year for:

    1. Sumo mandarins (top right) : a cross between a mandarin and a Navel orange, they’re super sweet, with a fun snowman shape and bumpy skin that makes them extremely satisfying to peel
    2. Cara Cara oranges (bottom right): with thin skin, few seeds, and flesh the color of the pinkest sunset, they’re great for salads and eating straight
    3. Seville bitter oranges (top left): too tart for the fruit bowl!; reserve for making marmalade
    4. Pomelos (bottom left): these thick-skinned, melon-sized fruit are a beast to dismantle, but the flavor (imagine a mellower, more floral grapefruit) and juiciness makes the journey worthwhile
    5. Key limes (top left): yellowish and very tart, they’re teeny, cute, and—we’re sure you know—great in pie (though juicing them is a labor of love)
    6. Meyer lemons (bottom center): compared to common commercial lemons, they look rounder, smoother, and more orange-hued and taste sweeter and less acidic

    Now go make some lemonade →

Sarah Jampel is a writer, editor, recipe developer, and food stylist based in Vermont. She was a senior staff writer and stylist at Food52 before joining Bon Appétit as senior cooking editor in 2019, which entailed heading up the Basically vertical, editing and developing recipes, and writing about everything from her [favorite... Read more
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