Lemon juice is a frequent culinary and baking ingredient. It gives savoury and sweet foods alike a bright, lemony taste. It's one of the most acidic natural ingredients available, with a low pH level that gives jams and jellies structure and helps baked items rise correctly. If you don't have any on hand or are allergic or sensitive to lemon juice, you can substitute alternative components.
Here Are Eight Lemon Juice Alternatives
Below we have mentioned 8 great substitutes of lemon juice;
Lime juice
Lime juice is the finest lemon juice alternative since it can be used in lieu of lemon juice and has a comparable taste and acidity level. In fact, because it has a comparable pH level as lemon juice, it's an excellent alternative for it for canning or preserving food. Other alternatives, like as vinegar, are less acidic and may produce preserves that are dangerous to store for lengthy periods of time. Lime juice adds a slightly distinct flavour to recipes where lemon juice is a prominent component. The end product, though, will be tart and lemony.
Orange Juice
In most recipes, orange juice may be used in place of lemon juice. Lemon juice is less acidic, sweeter, and tart than this. It also has a distinct flavour characteristic. When a big volume of lemon juice is required in a dish, replacing orange juice may have a major influence on the flavour. It does, however, work in a pinch.
Vinegar
When only a tiny amount of lemon juice is required in cooking or baking, vinegar is an acceptable replacement. It's sharp and acidic, much like lemon juice. It may be used as a one-to-one substitution in these recipes. However, because vinegar has such a strong, pungent flavour and scent, it should not be substituted for lemon juice in meals where lemon is a prominent flavour.
Citric Acid
Citric acid is a naturally occurring acid present in lemon juice, making powdered citric acid an excellent lemon juice alternative, particularly for baking. The acidity of one teaspoon (5 grammes) of citric acid equals around half a cup (120 ml) of lemon juice. As a result, just a tiny amount is necessary, and you'll need to adapt the recipe accordingly. To maintain the optimum dry-to-wet ratio of components, you may need to add more liquid to your recipe.
Lemon Zest
Lemon zest, whether frozen or dried, can be used as a concentrated source of lemon flavour and acidity. It's great in sweets and meals with lemon as the main flavour. However, you may need to add more liquid to the recipe to make it work, especially if you're baking it.
White Wine
In savoury meals when just a modest amount is required to brighten the taste or deglaze the pan, white wine is a good one-to-one substitution for lemon juice. Deglazing pans with white wine or lemon juice is frequent, and their acidity brings out the other flavours in savoury recipes.
Lemon Extract
Lemon extract is a strong lemon flavour that may be found in the baking area of most supermarkets. Only a drop or two of lemon juice is required to give a meal a strong lemon taste. It works well as a replacement for lemon juice in sweets with a strong lemon flavour. However, due to the high concentration, you may need to add more liquid.
Cream of Tartar
Cream of tartar is an acidic powder found in most grocery shops' baking sections. It's widely used to stabilise egg white foams or whipped cream, among other things. It's also used to make baking powder. It can be used as a substitute for lemon juice in baking since it is acidic. For every 1 teaspoon of lemon juice called for in a recipe, some sources recommend substituting 1/2 teaspoon of cream of tartar. Keep in mind that due to the absence of moisture in cream of tartar, you may need to add more liquid.
Bottom Line
Lemon juice may be substituted in a variety of ways in cooking and baking. However, lime juice, which is quite similar to lemon juice, is the best option.
