Lemon is often used by chefs.
Its juice can be used to clean the internal surfaces of microwave ovens, kettles or washing machines. Due to its high acid content, this juice easily removes various dirt and scale. In addition, lemon juice can make the dough fluffier and improve the taste. If there are no lemon fruits nearby, you can try alternatives. Here are a few common lemon substitutes that will help you get a similar result.
Use of fruit juices
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In the preparation of some dishes, as well as drinks, lemon juice is used due to its ascorbic acid content. It can also be obtained from other analogue fruits: grapefruit or sour apples.
To extinguish soda, cranberry, lingonberry or sea buckthorn juice without sugar is suitable; you can also use berry concentrates.
What else can you substitute for lemon juice? 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 a recipe for jelly, jam, fruit sauce, jelly or sauce for meat. It is important to note that if you plan to use it to marinate a meat or fish dish, it is not recommended to use the version containing sugar. For such purposes, it is best to choose pomegranate or grape juices.
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When making jam, unsweetened fruit juices help preserve all the beneficial components of the berries and make the product not only tasty, but also healthy. Even after long-term storage, such jam will retain its original consistency and will not become sugary.
How to replace white or red wine vinegar
Acetic acid is a component that is part of any vinegar product, therefore, white and red wine are interchangeable products, and even a great gourmet cannot distinguish them from each other in a salad. If it is important for the cook to introduce an ingredient of a specific color into the composition of the dish (although they do not differ much in taste and properties), then he can replace it with ordinary grape juice, the amount of which should be 3 times larger.
Sometimes these components are replaced with grape juice diluted with white wine in a 1:1 ratio. Also, balsamic, apple, sherry, rice or any other vinegar of natural origin can act as a substitute.
Sauces and dressings
Citric acid, as an excellent preservative, is often added to factory-made ketchups, tartar and other sauces. By cooking at home and not needing long-term storage, you can abandon the artificial product in favor of natural juices. An ideal substitute is lemon squeeze or apple cider vinegar, which has some sweetness. Also, depending on the composition of the sauce, other ingredients are used, for example, whey.
- To make the gravy more sour, add tomato paste, sumac seasoning, and sorrel.
- Lime and grapefruit juices will refresh the taste of salad or baked meat.
- If you need to add a piquant sweet and sour note, fruit and berry juices are suitable: red currant and cherry plum in the summer, apple, pomegranate, cranberry and viburnum in the fall.
In sauces based on cream or soy concentrate, you can safely add rice wine or the same vinegar.
Is it possible to make a replacement in cosmetology?
- When preparing creams . In face cream, lemon juice is not only responsible for its bactericidal properties, but also acts as an acidity regulator and preservative. Citric acid can handle the same set of functions. It is precisely this that is used in the preparation of creams in factory conditions, so why not take note of it in home cosmetology?
- For preparing masks . It is useful for girls with problem skin to periodically make a disinfecting mask of water, honey, salt, yeast and lemon juice. In this recipe it can be replaced with citric acid.
- Hair rinses . Those with oily scalp are advised to rinse their hair with water and lemon juice after washing. Due to its bactericidal properties, it will help eliminate dandruff and regulate the activity of the sebaceous glands. However, you can use not only it, but also vinegar.
- For sugaring . Sugaring paste consists of three components: sugar, water and acid. Lemon juice is most often used as an acid, but nothing prevents you from using citric acid or vinegar. Vinegar is used if you are allergic to lemon.
- Lotions and tonics . Lotions and tonics are used to restore the water-oil balance of the skin after washing. In addition, if you choose the right ingredients, you can prepare a toner for your skin type.
Is it worth using analogues?
Although you can substitute lemon juice in cosmetics if you wish, do so carefully. There is no way to tell in advance whether you will have allergies.
Apple vinegar
Already from the name itself you can tell that it is made from apples. This product is very healthy and is used for preparing various dishes or even in cosmetology.
Despite all its advantages, apple cider vinegar is not recommended for canning.
If a canning recipe requires the addition of apple cider vinegar, it is better to prepare a small amount of salad or marinades so that they can be consumed in a short time.
The short shelf life is compensated by its amazing taste; canned tomatoes or peppers acquire a new vinegary-fruit aroma, which in the blink of an eye will spread throughout the apartment. READ ALSO: Dairy goats 7 odorless dairy breeds that produce more milk
Correct proportions to replace citric acid
In order not to spoil the confectionery product, it is necessary to correctly replace citric acid with another acid. Therefore, I propose to summarize how to choose the right replacement.
Acid | Application | Quantity |
Citrus juice | ✓ beating eggs ✓ beating egg whites ✓ baking powder ✓ flavoring | To beat eggs and whites, ½ teaspoon of citrus juice is enough; To replace it as a baking powder - 1 teaspoon. |
Vinegar | ✓ baking powder ✗ egg beating ✗ egg whites beating ✗ flavoring | As a leavening agent, vinegar is used with alkali (soda) 250 ml of 9% vinegar will be equal to 1 teaspoon of citric acid diluted in 250 ml of water; 330 ml of 6% vinegar is equal to 1 teaspoon of citric acid diluted with 330 ml of water; 1 tablespoon of vinegar equal to ½ teaspoon of citric acid diluted in 1 tablespoon of water. |
Sour berry juice | ✓ baking powder ✗ egg beating ✗ egg whites beating ✓ flavoring | Cranberry, currant and lingonberry juice are excellent for extinguishing alkali. With a berry nipple you will get an unusual taste of your dessert. |
So, we have found enough alternatives to replace citric acid. By using these substitutes, we will get different flavors in our desserts. In this case, the replacement will have a big advantage - the variety of flavors obtained!
Lime juice
Lime juice is the best substitute for lemon juice as it can be used as a one-to-one substitute and has a very similar taste and acidity level.
In fact, when canning food, it is an ideal substitute for lemon juice because it has a similar pH level. Other substitutes, such as vinegar, are less acidic and may cause the product to last for a shorter period of time.
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In desserts where lemon juice is a key ingredient, lime juice adds a slightly different flavor. However, you will still end up with a tart and citrusy flavor.
Cooking methods
Now about the most important thing - how to make lemon juice from powder concentrate. There are several options, but they are all simple and quick to execute. But in this process, proportions must be strictly observed, otherwise the taste of the finished product can be spoiled.
Option 1
To replace 60 ml of natural lemon juice, you need to take 5-6 g of citric acid, that is, a level teaspoon. If this amount of powder is diluted in 10 ml of water, the resulting solution will be equivalent in volume to the amount of juice of one medium lemon.
Option 2
Artificial lemon juice can be obtained by diluting 20 g of dry powder in 100 ml of water.
If you need to get a larger amount of natural lemon juice substitute, you need to adhere to the 1:2 ratio when diluting.
Useful tips
Despite the fact that the procedure for obtaining lemon juice from powder concentrate is not difficult, you should follow some rules:
- The solution should only be prepared in glass or earthenware containers. Aluminum mugs are not suitable for this purpose, since the acid instantly reacts with the metal. This is unsafe for health, and the dishes will be ruined.
- It is advisable to dilute the powder with warm boiled water. After stirring, the composition can be used immediately. The possibility of using cold water is not excluded, but then you need to wait about five minutes for the drink to infuse.
As you can see, artificial lemon juice can be prepared quickly and easily. Moreover, a man-made analogue of a natural product will not be inferior in value if the proportions indicated here are strictly observed. When performing ordinary culinary actions, you need to ensure that the powder does not get into your eyes or respiratory tract.
Administrator Author of articles about seasonings for your favorite dishes
What recipes use lemon juice?
It is generally accepted that the most valuable substance that lemon has is ascorbic acid. It is able to tone the body, improves memory and concentration, and is also the number one remedy for the development of an inflammatory process in the body or an infectious disease. It has low calorie content.
As for its use in cooking, in this area lemon juice is also in demand and loved by housewives. 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 common component in cream recipes.
To enhance the taste of the selected spices for meat or fish, before placing the product in the oven, be sure to pour a small amount of juice over it. It is worth noting that lemon juice makes the texture of meat softer.
To replace fresh citrus, you can purchase concentrate. It is sold in many grocery hypermarkets. Unlike the lemon itself, such a solution will always be on hand, it can be stored for a long time, and the taste is the same.
Lemon juice contains many valuable elements, the most important of which is ascorbic acid. It helps improve memory and attention, prevents inflammatory processes and tones the body. At the same time, the product is low in calories.
Juice is used as an addition to dishes:
- in salad dressing;
- for marinating;
- as a component of gourmet sauces;
— for the production of soft drinks;
- for baking and creams.
Lemon juice is sprinkled on prepared fish and meat dishes to add piquancy and reveal the aroma of basic spices.
But most often, lemon juice and zest are used in baking. They are added to dough or cream. If you prepare the cream with eggs and butter, it will delight lovers of sweets not only with its pleasant taste, but also with its unusual consistency. It does not contain much moisture, so it will not spread over the pastry or cake and will retain its volume.
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You can replace milk or water with juice when creating fudge. The juice is used in large quantities to make desserts with ricotta cheese.