These tools ain't no lemons

Back on the subject of lemons, I have owned many culinary gadgets in my (short, yet action-packed) lifetime. And since you know that lemon is one of my favorite flavors, I'd like to save you the time in trying to extract all of the lemon flavor out of life.

I've owned a lot of juicers. The Juiceman juicer (too much air in the final product and too hard to clean), the manual press-down kind, the automatic press-down kind, the kind that winds down like a vice grip and then swings back up (on its own). Some have survived the harrowing lemon season in my house, and some have not. BUT I MUST SAY, the Breville Die-Cast Citrus Press is the best I have found. It has stood the test of time through many a lemon, grapefruit and orange harvest! It is pricey (just shy of $200), but it is so worth it. It makes citrus juice effortlessly and is a cinch to clean!!!

http://www.brevilleusa.com/juicing/die-cast-citrus-press.html

And while you're about the business of flavor-extracting, make sure you remove the zest. The zest of the lemon is the colored peel (don't get too deep, or you will arrive at the white pithe which is bitter). The best equipment for that is the Microplane zester. You can get them any where kitchen gadgets are sold, for somewhere under $16, but make sure you get the Microplane brand. It's sharp enough for the fruit, but generally easy on the hands.

http://us.microplane.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=4

Lastly, if you are light on cash but eager to juice, you can always pick up a citrus "reamer". There's one at Crate and Barrel for under $5.00.

http://www.crateandbarrel.com/family.aspx?c=746&f=23675

Tonight I am making fresh-squeezed grapefruit sorbet. The recipe follows.

Happy juicing!!!!

Grapefruit Sorbet:

1 1/2 cups simple syrup
2 cups fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice

Combine and freeze in an ice cream maker according to the instruction manual. (Note, taste the mixture before freezing. If you like it a bit more tart, use more juice or less simple syrup...if you like it sweeter, do the opposite.....you run the show! :D )

Simple Syrup
1 cup water
1 cup granulated sugar

Pour water and sugar into a saucepan. Heat on medium until sugar completely dissolves. Cool to room temperature.