# ReaLemon vs real lemons



## IcyMist (May 9, 2006)

Hope you don't mind me adding something to your post Mike, but I was wondering about something.  Several recipes that I want to try call for the ReaLemon concentrate instead of fresh lemons and living in Florida we have LOTS of fresh lemons and so I hate to use the concentrate.  Can someone tell me the ratio of fresh lemon juice I would need for a recipe that calls for say a cup of ReaLemon concentrate?


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## redmike (May 10, 2006)

IcyMist said:
			
		

> Hope you don't mind me adding something to your post Mike, but I was wondering about something.  Several recipes that I want to try call for the ReaLemon concentrate instead of fresh lemons and living in Florida we have LOTS of fresh lemons and so I hate to use the concentrate.  Can someone tell me the ratio of fresh lemon juice I would need for a recipe that calls for say a cup of ReaLemon concentrate?


No I don't mind at all 

I looked on the Internet for a while but could only find the following which are not directly related to cooking ..

Concentrated fruit juice is the product that complies with the definition given in food category 14.1.2.1. It is prepared by the physical removal of water from fruit juice in an amount to increase the Brix level to a value at least 50% greater than that established for reconstituted juice from the same fruit.

Fruit juice concentrates are made by cooking down peach, pineapple, grape, and pear juices to produce a sweeter, more concentrated product. The product is then frozen to increase shelf life.

Drinks made from concentrate don't contain added sugars. In fact from the start, before anything else has been used to enhance the beverage, contain water added to the concentrate just to bring it back to "juice" status. If no more water is added, the label will read "100% juice from concentrate," but in the ingredient list, the first entry will be water. In reality, your "100% juice" is maybe 90% water, but so's the juice of an orange on the tree.

Maybe someone else can give you a more 'helpful' answer. 50% ?

I'm teaching in Tel Aviv and there are plenty of fresh lemons here too !

regards,

Mike


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## Andy M. (May 10, 2006)

The bottle will tell you how much Realemon is equal to a real lemon.  What kind of recipe are you making that calls for a cup of this stuff?


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## Michael in FtW (May 10, 2006)

ReaLemon is made _*from*_ concentrate ... I have never seen it as a concentrate, nor can I find it as such among any of Borden's products.

I just checked the label on the bottle I have. On a volume bases it is a direct 1:1 replacement, ie - 1 cup ReaLemon = 1 cup fresh squeezed. If you are trying to replace the juice from lemons with ReaLemon - 3 Tablespoons ReaLemon = the juice from 1 med (regular) lemon.


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## IcyMist (May 11, 2006)

The cup measurement was just for example purposes.  The recipe I am making really calls for 1/2 cup ReaLemon and since I cannot stand ReaLemon and lemons are in vast supply in Florida, I am going to use the real thing.  Not sure where I got this recipe from and I think I have posted it quite a while ago, but here it is again.  

Lemon Crumb Bars
Servings: Makes 24 to 36 bars 

These refreshing lemon bars will delight kids of all sizes and are a great addition to your cookie collections. Bake a batch for a summer picnic or family outing.
Prep Time: 30 minutes 

1 (18 1/4 oz.) package lemon or yellow cake mix 
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, softened 
1 egg 
3 egg yolks 
2 cups finely crushed saltine crackers (1/4 lb.) 
1 (14 ounce) can Eagle® Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk (NOT evaporated milk) 
1/2 cup ReaLemon® Lemon Juice from Concentrate 

Preheat oven to 350°. In large bowl, beat cake mix, margarine and 1 egg with mixer until crumbly. Stir in saltine crumbs. Reserving 2 cups crumb mixture, press remaining crumbs on bottom of greased 13x9-inch baking pan. 

Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until golden. 

With mixer or wire whisk, beat 3 egg yolks Eagle Brand and ReaLemon. Spread over prepared crust. Top with reserved crumb mixture.

Bake 25 minutes longer or until set and top is golden. Cool. Refrigerate within 2 hours. Cut into bars. Store covered in refrigerator.


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## marmalady (May 11, 2006)

I'm with Michael; I always thought the RealLemon was not a concentrate.  Use the same amount of fresh lemon juice, and may add in some of the zest, and you should be fine.


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## licia (May 11, 2006)

I've always thought Realemon IS a concentrate. I don't think the same amount can be used for fresh lemon juice. I don't use the stuff tho, so I don't have a bottle. Doesn't it say lemon juice concentrate on the bottle?


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## GB (May 11, 2006)

It is *from* concentrate. Check out this site.


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## RPCookin (May 11, 2006)

It says right on the bottle "Made from concentrate".  It is already reconstituted....


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## DeeDee5 (Aug 11, 2016)

*Lemon Juice Concentrate vs. Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice*

IcyMist......from my trial and errors, I've found that I use about 1/3 more fresh juice when the recipe calls for the concentrate.
I used to use the concentrate to make lemonade and I would use 1 cup......and now I use 1 1/3  cups fresh lemon juice.
I used to use 2/3 cup concentrate for my lemon meringue pie.....I now use 1 cup fresh.


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## CraigC (Aug 11, 2016)

You realize that this thread is 10 years old and that IcyMist  hasen't been around for a long time. I don't think you will get a reply.


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## erehweslefox (Aug 22, 2016)

I think it is useful. Lets talk about it, I sometimes use concentrate, rather than fresh. There are a lot of advances in concentrate lemons vs. 10 years ago, what do you think?


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## medtran49 (Aug 22, 2016)

I think I'll stick with fresh juice, regardless of the fruit type.


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## Andy M. (Aug 22, 2016)

I squeeze lemons for juice and sometimes use this: https://www.amazon.com/True-Lemon-Crystallized-Pack-2-82/dp/B002NSE684

I buy a smaller package.  This link is just to show you the product.


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## RPCookin (Aug 22, 2016)

It's not always a realistic option to go to the store (over an hour round trip), and I don't just automatically keep lemons on hand.  Therefore, I do keep Real Lemon or similar on hand for those times.  Lime too.


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## Dawgluver (Aug 22, 2016)

Janet H had mentioned True Lemon and True Lime packets a while back.  They're great, just dehydrated fruit juice powder, nothing else.  I got mine from Amazon.


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## DeeDee5 (Aug 22, 2016)

*Fresh wins*

I agree with you 'medtran49'......give me fresh any day.

And....in my opinion, food quality has decreased in the past 10 years.


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## Cooking Goddess (Aug 23, 2016)

Heh, looks like this zombie thread has legs. 

I prefer fresh, but sometimes they are very pricey and small. As a back-up, I always have a bottle of *Minute Maid Premium Lemon Juice* in the fridge, with one or two usually in the freezer in case I can't find them in the store. All it is is fresh lemon juice, frozen. Well, fresh concentrated lemon juice, reconstituted. Once defrosted, it lasts forever in the fridge - or at least as long as it takes me to go through a bottle.

Last year, my usual grocery store had 1# bags of Meyer lemons in stock - 7 in total. I bought a bag...and then tried to figure out what to do with the leftover five before they went bad. I zested them, froze the zest on a tray, and put it into a small Tupperware container. I squeezed the juice from the lemons and froze it in Tupperware containers about the size and shape of shot glasses - maybe 2 oz or 2 1/2 oz containers. It was nice to have those small tubs...until they were gone.  Back to the Minute Maid when I don't have fresh.


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## erehweslefox (Aug 23, 2016)

I prefer fresh always, but heck sometimes, you just don't have a couple lemons, I agree with CG on the Minute Maid. 

Now if I was freezing zest and juice in Tupperware about the size of shot glasses, well I might have been tempted to go ahead and put vodka in those and invite people over. 

I like the idea of having juice and zest in little tubs.

For me, sometimes I need a squirt of lemon juice, even when I have lemons around, which is usual, so I am gonna cut one up, grab a quarter, and involve a whole lemon for a squirt I need? I am reserving my whole lemons for projects like roasted chicken. 

I sincerely doubt there is a difference between concentrate and fresh in a recipe where I need a tbsp or sometimes a tsp of lemon juice amid other ingredients.

Lemons go off in two weeks, I have had a bottle of concentrate for six months. 

TBS


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## erehweslefox (Aug 23, 2016)

Now if you want to make Engagement Chicken, you need fresh lemons

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Engagement_Chicken

I can tell you the recipe does not work. I made it twice for my wife, and nothing, I just had to eventually ask her. 

TBS


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