by Jennifer Anderson

Although citrus fruits are at their peak in winter, they’ll add sunshine to your cooking all year long.

When choosing citrus to zest and juice, pick out fruit that is unblemished on the outside. It should be heavy for its size, and the skin should look taut and plump, not shriveled. Most citrus fruit at the grocery store has been waxed to make it look more appealing; if you’ll be using the zest, you can choose organic fruit.

Zest is the colorful outer peel of citrus fruit. It contains fragrant, intensely flavorful oils. It’s easiest to remove with a citrus zester or microplane grater, although the fine holes on a grater will work as well. Just be careful not to remove too much of the bitter pith, the white layer between the peel and the fruit. Add chopped citrus zest to:

- Salad dressings
- Marinades
- Sauces for meat, vegetables or desserts
- Cake or muffin batter
- Bread, scone, biscuit or cookie dough

The Juice
Do you have a juicer? It’ll take about 1 pound of oranges to produce an 8-oz. glass of juice.

Yields
As a general guideline,

• One medium orange = 1/2 cup juice (4 oz.)
• One lemon = 1/2 cup juice (4 oz.)
• One lime = 1/4 cup plus 1 Tablespoon (3.4 oz.)

Recipes

Main Dishes
Citrus juices help tenderize meat and are terrific in marinades.

• Salmon Tango
• Honey Orange Basil Chicken
• Tina’s Best Lime BBQ Chicken
• Lemon Cream Pasta with Chicken
• Grecian Pork Tenderloin
• Fiery Fish Tacos with Crunchy Corn Salsa

Salads and Sides
Brighten up your menu with these refreshing flavors.

• Grilled Chicken Citrus Salad
• Orange, Walnut, Gorgonzola and Mixed Greens Salad with Fresh Citrus Vinaigrette
• Orange Vinaigrette
• Ceviche Self-Portrait
• Tropical Rice Pilaf

Baked Goods and Desserts
It’s not just for lemon bars! Try adding zest to bread doughs, muffin batters, and cookies.

• Lemon Snowdrops
• Walnut Raisin Scones
• Orange Pull Aparts
• Swedish Limpu Bread
• Lemon Madeleines