When buying citrus fruit, hold each piece in your hand and judge by weight not size. i.e. A light fruit will be full of pith or dried out., those full of juice and thin skin will be heavier.

To obtain the most juice from a lemon or orange drop the fruit in a bowl of boiling water for five minutes.

If only a squirt of lemon juice is needed at one time put the whole lemon in a bowl of boiling water and when warm stick a knitting needle or cocktail stick in and sqirt the required amount. Wrap the cooled lemon in tinfioil and it will keep fresh in the fridge.

If you have pared an orange say and do not use or need the skin. Lay the skins flat on kitchen paper overnight to absorb the moisture. The dried skins can then be frozen for use later.

Keep half a lemon fresh by rubbing the cut side with salt or vinegar and place it cut side down on a saucer in the fridge.

If you use a lot of lemon in drinks, try putting slivers of lemon or orange with water in ice-cube trays. Ready to add to drinks later.

Left over orange or lemon juice can also be frozen as ice-cubes.


cheers Penny.

I like lemon or orange peel grated, sprinkled with icing sugar and on the top of cakes