In the United States, as in many other countries, citrus juice enjoys the reputation of being a great source of vitamin C and other valuable nutrients. With all the fresh citrus flooding the market right now, it seems the perfect time to try some simple recipes powered by all the nutrients these fruits have to offer. The juice of orange, lime, lemon and grapefruit can easily be obtained by squeezing the fruit with a press or juicer.
There are electric and manual citrus juicers on the market to help you extract the liquid from the fruit effortlessly and quick. During this process, juice of the fruit is collected in a container, tray or measuring cup underneath, and it can be used in a cocktail, mocktail or added to the recipe of your choice. There is a wide variety of quick and easy citrus juicer recipes available for mixing refreshing drinks, making great salads and baking delicious lemon meringue pies.
Easy lemon based vinaigrette recipe for salads
The best way to juice a lemon or lime is to obtain a tool such as an electric or manual juicer to help extract the liquid effortlessly and quickly from the fruit. Lemon and lime juice are used in a wide variety of drinks and foods.
Make your own no preservative and low sugar salad dressing. An easy way to make a great salad is to blend the ingredients for the dressing in a jar and keep it in the refrigerator. Vinaigrettes usually keep well in the refrigerator for a week and even longer. The following classic and all-purpose vinaigrette takes five minutes to prepare:
- Shake ¼ cup of olive oil, two tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, three tablespoons of wine vinegar, one teaspoon Dijon mustard, pinch of salt, and two tablespoons of hazelnut or walnut oil in a jar with a tight-fitting lit. Add a generous pinch of black pepper and a teaspoon grated lemon rind. Shake well and leave in the refrigerator until needed.
Citrus fruits can ward off salad boredom during any season. Grapefruit, blood orange, Satsuma Mandarin or clementine segments, diced pickled vegetables and sliced olives are great in almost any salad. Just before serving, you can add the amazing flavor of your homemade vinaigrette to the salad.
Quick and easy cocktail recipes with citrus juice
Various refreshing cocktails made with citrus juice and vodka trace their heritage back to the early 1950s. In 1955, Sea Breeze became one of the most popular cocktails in the United States. Even today, it still remains to be one of the most classic drinks.
It is really easy to make your own Sea Breeze. Pour 1 ½ parts of vodka, 1 ½ parts of cranberry juice, 2 ½ parts of grapefruit juice in a shaker and mix well. Pour into a highball glass with ice cubes and garnish with a slice of lime. You can also try one of the following cocktail recipes with fresh citrus juice:
- Daiquiri is one of the oldest cocktails. Pour three tablespoons of white rum, one and a half tablespoon lime juice and half a spoon of sugar syrup in a shaker and mix well. Pour into a cocktail glass with ice and a slice of lime.
- Dark and Stormy cocktail originates from Bermuda and is easy to make. Simply fill up a highball glass with ice and pour four tablespoons of rum over the cubes. Top it up with ginger beer and add a dash of freshly squeezed lime juice.
- Enjoy a great Kamikaze cocktail. Mix one part of vodka, half a part of fresh lemon juice and half a part of Triple Sec in a shaker with ice cubes. Pour into a chilled glass and garnish with a slice of lime.
- The Mojito is an old-time favorite and takes a little more effort to make. Place ¾ cup of water and ¾ cup of sugar in a saucepan. Add fresh basil leaves and heat until all the sugar dissolves. Strain the mixture and set aside to cool. Season a large chunk of watermelon and two cherry tomatoes with salt and pepper in a cocktail shaker. Add a drop of olive oil. Shake well. Add half a tablespoon of basil infused syrup, one tablespoon fresh lemon juice and three tablespoons of rum. Shake well and strain into a chilled glass.
Citrus juicer recipe for lemon meringue pie
You can make a great lemon meringue pie that is absolutely divine. For the crust, you will need one packet of Coconut Bar cookies and ¼ cup melted butter. Crush the cookies and mix with the butter. Use a non-stick spray before scraping the mixture into the dish. Flatten the crumbs with the back of a tablespoon and freeze for 15 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. For this citrus juicer recipe you will need:
- Two tins full cream sweetened condensed milk
- One teaspoon grated lemon rind
- ½ cup boiling water
- ½ cup fresh lemon juice
- Four egg yolks
- Two teaspoons of corn flour
- Pinch of salt
Mix the condensed milk, lemon juice, boiling water, lemon rind, egg yolks and salt thoroughly. Pour the filling gently over the crust. Bake the pie for twenty minutes while preparing the meringue layer.
Beat the four egg whites and add two teaspoons fresh lemon juice until the mixture forms stiff peaks. Add the ¼ cup of castor sugar and ¼ cup of confectioners’ sugar a spoonful at a time while beating the mixture.
Remove the pie from the oven, sift two teaspoons of corn flour over the filling and once the egg whites are stiff and shiny, you can spoon it over the pie. Bake for another twenty-five minutes. Switch off the oven and open the door about an inch. Leave the pie in the oven until it cools down. To prevent water drops from forming on the topping, you can keep the pie in the refrigerator.
Conclusion
The juice of grapefruit, lemon, lime and orange can easily be obtained by squeezing the fruit with a press or juicer. There is a wide variety of quick and easy citrus juicer recipes available to teach you how to mix refreshing drinks, make great salads and bake delicious lemon meringue pies. You can begin to experiment with a variety of drinks and dishes, which will emphasize the flavors of sweet oranges, juicy lemons, freshly picked limes and grapefruit.