Is Bottled Lemon Juice Ever Okay to Use In Place of Fresh-Squeezed Juice?

You know how right when you thought things couldn't get bleaker, Netflix released Cheer and it was like you adjusted the brightness level on the world slash your phone just a little bit?

Well, that's sort of how it is with citrus season. You're smack dab in the middle of winter, halfway between apple season and berry season, and the only "holiday" to look forward to is Valentine's Day, which is just a product of capitalism anyway. But in that dark hour, the grocery stores seem to burst, all at once, with citrus of all shapes, sizes, and hues. There are the omnipresent lemons and limes, of course, but also the rarer varieties: pomelos, Sumo mandarins, Palestinian limes, bitter oranges, Ruby Red grapefruits. It's an oasis in the frozen tundra that is winter!

But how can you make the most of these undeserved riches? We're peeling back the layers of citrus—including whether it's ever okay to use bottled lemon juice and the one thing you should do before you get out your Microplane (you have one, right?)—below.

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