Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy

I love cooking with citrus, but sometimes my crazy travel schedule can be a bit challenging with keeping fresh fruit in the house.  I try to always have at least one lemon around, but sometimes I just find myself in such a pinch.  I recently received this email from Aunt Karen (you've also seen her creativity with Ian's stocking and her wine cork wreath). 

It's so ingenious, I don't even know what to do with myself.

The writing in italics is from my Aunt Karen's email, and the pictures are mine from when I put her advice into action this past Monday evening.

You mentioned substituting lime for lemon, as you just wanted to use what you had in the house. I have a trick I use that you might find interesting. 

I buy lemons and limes in bulk at someplace like BJs. So much cheaper!

First I zest all the fruit and put the zest in little bunches--like two teaspoons worth each--into the compartments of a mini ice cube tray. I use the rubber/plastic kind. On top of the zest I add enough water to fill the compartment (I use water so as not to waste the juice).  

After zesting, I juice the fruit and add it to the empty compartments. It also measures out to about two teaspoons per compartment.

Into the freezer they go. Once frozen, you can put the cubes into separately marked freezer bags--one for lemon, one for lime.

When you need juice or zest, you always have it on hand. No running to the grocery store. No lemons or limes turning hard or fuzzy and having to be discarded. Everything gets used. The juice and zest can quickly be defrosted in the microwave. I dry off the zest with a paper towel and continue on with my recipe. You can't tell the difference.

Both a frugal and elegant solution to a problem we all run into from time to time.

Love, AK

How smart is that?!

And a quick note from me: I used this Williams-Sonoma zester and a Cuisinart juicer.  My silicone cube molds came from Marshall's.