Five Wise Alternatives to Lemon Juice

Lemon juice is a widely used component in many different recipes, including marinades, baked products, salad dressings, and sauces. Not only does lemon juice add a zesty taste to food, but it also gives recipes structure and balance and aids in the proper rising of baked goods. If you’re a serious home baker or cook, running out of lemon juice is almost never an option.

You have more options than you might think for adding that tart, tangy flavor and acidity to your food if you do run out of lemon juice or need to find a substitute due to an allergy or sensitivity. In fact, many of these options are likely already in your pantry or refrigerator. See which of our list of five clever lemon juice replacements works best for you to quickly replace this crucial byproduct of lemons.

1. Lime Juice

Given that lime juice can be substituted 1:1 for lemon juice and has a similar taste and acidity level, it’s the best and most obvious option. Because lime juice and lemon juice don’t taste the same, your finished product will have a little different flavor, but it will still contain the sour, citrus notes you’re going for.

2. Orange Juice

Grab that bottle of orange juice from your refrigerator for another tart substitute for lemon. Though its flavor is not as tart or acidic as lemon juice, its sweetness makes it a good substitute if you want a hint of tang without too much lemon flavor.

In most recipes, orange juice can be substituted 1:1; however, if a substantial volume of lemon juice is required, be prepared for the final result to have a completely different flavor profile.

3. White Vinegar

If you do find yourself without lemons, vinegar is a great substitute as lemon juice is frequently used in baking and cooking as an acidic ingredient. Like lemon juice, vinegar has an acidic and sour flavor and can be substituted 1:1 in recipes that call for a tiny amount of lemon juice. However, vinegar’s strong pungency might not be the greatest option in a recipe where lemon is a significant flavor accent.

4. Citric Acid

Citric acid, an acid that is naturally present in lemon juice, works well as a lemon juice alternative in any baked dish that calls for lemon juice. For every ½ cup of lemon juice, you only need one teaspoon of citric acid, so start with a little bit and adjust the wet components in your recipe as necessary to maintain the right wet-to-dry ratio.

5. Lemon Extract

If you’re desperate to add some lemon flavor to a cake or pie but don’t have any lemon juice on hand, lemon extract is the next best thing. One or two drops will impart lots of lemon flavor, so start with very little. However, because it’s highly concentrated, you might need to add extra liquid to keep the balance.

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