How to Make the Most of Your Citrus

Did you know that fresh squeezed lemon, grapefruit and lime juice taste better in a cocktail if they have been ‘aged’ in the fridge for around 4 hours? It gives them an extra fragrant aroma and is so delicious in a drink! You can keep the fresh juice in your fridge for 1 day, but after that it’s safer to make a fresh batch (although fresh grapefruit juice can last a little longer, although not past two days). Oranges, on the other hand, should be juiced and used as soon as possible.

My favourite tool for juicing is the hand press (pictured), because it captures the fragrant oils from the zest and it’s easy to carry around. You can also use an electric citrus juicer if you have to juice a lot of lemons or limes, but you don’t always get the benefit of the oils in the skin, so slice those off and express them (squeeze the zest) over the top of the cocktail you are making.

I generally get my citrus from the farmers market, as there is nothing better than fresh-picked fruits in my opinion, and you can always find interesting varieties (like yuzu or pink lemons) that you cannot get in a regular grocery store.