Can I substitute lemon juice for vinegar (1:1) in a vinaigrette?

a Whole Foods Market Customer
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5 Comments

CookOnTheFly April 12, 2011
Yes, you can. My former Gluten-free boyfriend didn't tolerate vinegar well so I always substituted lemon juice. Your other alternative is Vitamin C powder mixed with water, about 1/4 tsp or Vitamin C powder to 1 TBSP water.
 
dymnyno April 12, 2011
I think that citrus gives a vinaigrette a softer bite of the acid than vinegar. But, that said, there are a lot of great vinegars. White vinegars and red vinegars, all have a "job" depending on the recipe. And then there are flavored vinegars like tarragon vinegar which can make a real difference.
 
pierino April 12, 2011
I mostly agree with the previous answers as I use citrus all the thyme. BUT an aged Spanish jerez vinegar is a beautiful thing, far superior to supermarket fakeola "balsamics". And certainly wine-friendly as well. I have a bottle of De Soto at hand and it has a wonderful fragrance.
 
sdebrango April 12, 2011
Totally agree, lemon juice brightens the dressing in a way vinegar does not. Sometimes I add grated lemon zest to my vinegarette to take it to another level.
 
ChefJune April 12, 2011
Yes, you can, any time you want. I almost always use citrus (primarily lemon) juice for my vinaigrettes because that makes them MUCH more wine-friendly.

We also enjoy the brightness the lemon brings.
 
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