The Flavor Boosting Ingredient You Should Always Keep In Your Freezer

Citrus fruits are great at enhancing flavor, whether brightening a savory dish or adding a bit of zing to desserts. With varying levels of acidity, pulpy insides, and thick peels, fruits like lemon, lime, orange, grapefruit, and yuzu all lend complexity to foods. While they last up to a month on average when kept properly in the fridge, they still lose their potency. However, you can get more out of the tart fruits by storing citrus zest and juice in the freezer. This will extend its life and turn it into a handy kitchen asset.

All you really need for storage are resealable plastic bags. For a more durable option, Stasher reusable food storage bags are dishwasher-safe. One mess-free tip for storing citrus juice is to squeeze it into an ice cube tray with a lid so that you can pop the cubes out as needed. Frozen citrus has infinite uses in your kitchen.

If there's one ingredient that can transform your chicken noodle soup, it's a bit of lemon juice. Chicken soups can be fatty and salty, and the lemon's sourness balances those savory notes. It pairs well with the absorbent celery and carrots that yield upon first bite. Lemon also has a place anywhere there's garlic, so a hearty potato soup or garlic butter sauce will benefit from the acidity. Lemon and mushroom is an underrated duo, as they can create a tangy, umami cream broth or white sauce together as the perfect pasta companions.

Lime is the ideal choice for tomato-based soups and salsas. It's common practice for tortilla soup to be served with a wedge of lime, so why not drop some lime juice into the soup as part of the cooking process? (Doing so towards the end of the cooking process is best as it preserves the juice's freshness.) Limes are more bitter than lemons, and they can give a tomato dish more earthiness. This more herbal quality is also why they're delicious in a beefy bowl of pho.

Grapefruit can often be overlooked for its hit-or-miss flavor with a lot of people. However, this distinctness is an asset to cocktails like the Paloma, cantarito, and sea breeze. A grapefruit peel twist or a slice placed as a half-moon on the rim will add to the taste, aroma, and visual appeal of any of these cocktails.

Yuzu is another underutilized member of the citrus family (in the United States, anyway). This sour citrus with a floral aroma is often paired with sake and soju. A little bit of this fruit frozen into ice cubes or defrosted as juice will give a lovely twist to gin and rum cocktails.

Oranges are the tried–and-true topper for Aperol spritz, old fashioned, and sidecar cocktails. Lime is a margarita's best friend. Citrus and alcoholic beverages are a match made in heaven, so consider using your frozen fruits to mix up a playful four-ingredient twist on the tequila sunrise.

No part of your citrus should go to waste. Most people don't like to eat the peel as-is, but zesting it allows for some versatility, especially when incorporating it into savory foods. Zest is what makes Ina Garten's lemon vinaigrette too tasty to ignore. Following the Barefoot Contessa's lead and sprinkling a little bit of zest into your vinaigrettes will lend welcome texture and brightness to any refreshing, crunchy salad.

Citrus zest works not only as a garnish for savory foods like chicken and lobster, but it can also be worked into your cooking. For example, you can add zest to breadcrumbs for a more complex flavor, use some for a lemon-dill crust for salmon, or boost lemon pepper dry rub for wings. A pinch of zest can also be whipped into a mayo or aioli to spread on sandwiches or dip fried foods into.

Mix and match citrus fruits for any frozen treat. Sweet orange juice boosted by a squeeze of lime can be turned into popsicles with the help of a popsicle mold or ice cube tray. Small berries or other cut-up fruit will give them even more natural sweetness and texture. For a chilly summer snack, turn frozen fruit into a sweet granita, snow cone, or Italian ice. Citrus fruit puree is also the best base for a smooth sorbet.

For creamier treats, citrus frozen yoghurt and smoothies are convenient options for a light breakfast, especially if frozen into squeezable pouches. Ice cream is another great option for incorporating fruit. You can also make dairy-free ice cream with coconut milk and a hint of lime juice for a tropical spin on a sweet treat. And before you reach for the sugar sprinkles, try sprinkling orange and lemon zest — swap the cherry on top for a slice of tangerine.

Lemon is the king of citrus in most kitchens, and bakers have discovered some of the most unique ways to use it in various dishes. This yellow little fellow is the foundation of the best lemon shortbread cookies. The acidity is great at cutting through richness, and the sourness balances the overwhelming sweetness of some desserts. Lemon flavor is a welcome addition to everything from cookies and cakes to batter-based foods like delicious pancakes and waffles.

Luckily, lemon extract can be made with just two ingredients: zest and vodka. A few drops can completely elevate the taste of blueberry muffins or chocolate cake, leaving guests wondering what secret ingredient made your desserts so memorable. You can also be more overt with the tartness by instead using lemon curd as a filling or spread for pastries. The applications for this citrus are endless, and it should always have a spot in your freezer.