Tastes

Does Balsamic Vinegar Go Bad?

Last Updated on November 29, 2022 by Simply Healthy Family - Team

Balsamic vinegar is a concentrated ingredient with a powerful punch. The product is usually used in small quantities in recipes. Since a bottle of expensive balsamic vinegar can’t be used quickly, many cooks wonder whether older balsamic vinegar is still usable.

Balsamic vinegar doesn’t go bad if it’s stored correctly, and can generally be used long after its expiration date. The acetic acid in the vinegar acts as a preservative, preventing the vinegar from spoiling.

What Is Balsamic Vinegar?

Balsamic vinegar is a highly concentrated vinegar with a brown color and a strong tart flavor blended with a subtle hint of sweetness. Popular for the unique taste that it lends to foods, balsamic vinegar is used in salad dressings, sauces, marinades, and cooked foods like roasted meats and stews.

This type of vinegar is made from unfermented grape juice and aged in wooden barrels. The longer the aging period, the better the quality of balsamic vinegar. Expensive, good-quality balsamic vinegar is often aged for up to 25 years.

How Long Does Balsamic Vinegar Last?

There are two main types of balsamic vinegar — traditional and modern commercial. Traditional balsamic vinegar has a longer shelf life than commercial.

Traditional Balsamic Vinegar

Classic traditional balsamic vinegar doesn’t go bad. This type of vinegar has been aged for many years, which purifies the ingredients. The acid in balsamic vinegar prevents bacteria from multiplying, making the vinegar safe to use for 20 years or more depending on how it’s stored.

Traditional balsamic vinegar is the best quality and best-tasting variety available. Good quality balsamic vinegar usually doesn’t have a set shelf life.

Because a bottle of good quality balsamic vinegar is expensive, store the vinegar correctly so that you can use it all.

Modern Commercial Balsamic Vinegar

Modern commercial balsamic vinegar has been aged for a few months, rather than many years, and has a lower quality and shorter shelf life than classic balsamic vinegar.

Commercial balsamic vinegar usually has a best-by date of three to four years after its production date. Provided modern commercial balsamic vinegar is stored properly, it’s safe to use for up to a year after its best-by date, giving it a five-year shelf life.

How to Store Balsamic Vinegar

Although balsamic vinegar’s shelf life is indefinite, storing balsamic vinegar incorrectly can cause it to deteriorate and possibly spoil. Store balsamic vinegar in a cool, dark cupboard with the cap firmly secured.

These are the elements that will cause the vinegar to deteriorate:

Light — Exposure to light causes a reaction in the natural chemicals in the vinegar, making the vinegar lose the intensity of its flavor. When buying balsamic vinegar, choose a brand in a dark bottle rather than a clear glass bottle, and store the vinegar in a dark cupboard to minimize light exposure
Heat — Multiplication of bacteria is possible in vinegar stored at temperatures above 80°F. Avoid storing balsamic vinegar on the kitchen counter or in a cupboard next to the oven. Store the vinegar in a cool cupboard with a temperature between 60 and 80°F
Air — Exposure to air allows bacteria to enter the balsamic vinegar and possibly contaminate it. Ensure that the bottle is tightly sealed with the cap to prevent contamination. Leaving the bottle open also causes the vinegar to evaporate

While there’s no need to refrigerate balsamic vinegar to preserve it, sometimes it’s best when used cold, as when mixed with olive oil and poured over a salad. Storing balsamic vinegar in the fridge to keep it cold won’t affect its quality.

How to Tell if Balsamic Vinegar Is Bad

There are numerous ways to tell if balsamic vinegar has spoiled:

Smell the vinegar — Balsamic vinegar usually has a sharp, pungent, slightly sweet aroma. Spoiled balsamic vinegar has a rancid, off-putting odor
Examine vinegar’s color — Balsamic vinegar should be amber to light brown. If your balsamic vinegar has turned dark brown or black, it has gone bad. Dark, cloudy patches floating in the vinegar indicate that there is mold growing and you should discard the vinegar
Taste the vinegar — Balsamic vinegar that has lost its flavor, or that tastes unpleasantly bitter, has gone bad. While nobody should consume a product that is potentially spoiled, tasting balsamic vinegar by putting a minute drop on the tip of your finger won’t cause harm

FAQs About Balsamic Vinegar

These are common questions that people ask about balsamic vinegar:

What Does it Mean if Balsamic Vinegar Has Sediment?

A thin layer of sediment in a bottle of balsamic vinegar is caused by cellulose, a complex carbohydrate in the vinegar, and doesn’t affect the quality of the vinegar. Strain the vinegar through a piece of coffee filter paper, if you prefer, to remove the sediment.

However, if the sediment becomes thick and starts to grow, you should discard the vinegar because thick sediment is a sign that bacteria are multiplying and the vinegar is no longer safe to use.

What Are the Black or Dark Flecks in Balsamic Vinegar?

The black or dark flecks sometimes seen floating in balsamic vinegar are caused by the natural bacteria present in the vinegar and are harmless. However, if the black flecks become large, spongy masses in the liquid, the vinegar has spoiled and should be discarded.

Can I Keep Using My Expired Balsamic Vinegar?

Yes, you can use expired balsamic vinegar. The expiration date is given as a guide only and isn’t a strict determination of how long the vinegar will be safe to use.

Using balsamic vinegar long after the expiration date is safe provided the vinegar has been stored properly and doesn’t display any signs of spoiling.

Can I Freeze Balsamic Vinegar?

Yes, you can freeze balsamic vinegar. All kinds of vinegar, including apple cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar, and black vinegar, freeze at 28°F. However, there’s no need to freeze vinegar because balsamic vinegar lasts indefinitely in a dark cupboard, and freezing the vinegar doesn’t prolong its lifespan.

If you want to freeze balsamic vinegar, pour it into an airtight freezer-safe container. Leave at least 1 inch above the surface to leave space for expansion as the vinegar freezes. Avoid freezing balsamic vinegar in a glass bottle because the glass may crack in the freezer.

Conclusion

Balsamic vinegar has an indefinite shelf life and doesn’t go bad if it’s stored properly. Take full advantage of the lifespan of balsamic vinegar by closing the bottle securely and keeping the vinegar in a cool, dark place. Don’t worry about small amounts of sediment or dark spots in balsamic vinegar. The vinegar is still safe to use.

Spanish Onion

Last Updated on June 27, 2022 by Simply Healthy Family - Team

A Spanish onion is a type of Mediterranean onion. With its mild, sweet flavor, the Spanish onion is often eaten raw in salads and is also a popular ingredient in many recipes for cooked dishes.

What is a Spanish Onion?

A Spanish onion is an onion about the same size as an orange, with white or yellow skin and a fine, grainy texture. This variety of onions has a less pungent aroma than other onions, due to its low sulfur content.

These onions are easy to grow, making them popular with home gardeners. Because the onions originated in the Mediterranean, they grow well in hot, humid areas. Spanish onions are cultivated in many areas in Spain, where they are popular in local produce markets.

What Do Spanish Onions Taste Like?

Spanish onions have a mild flavor and are often eaten raw, either sliced in salads or used as a garnish. The onion’s skin is thin and delicate, while the flesh is tender and softer than that of other onions.

Because of their high natural sugar content, Spanish onions are sweet and juicy. This sweetness makes Spanish onions ideal for making caramelized onions.

Are Spanish Onions Healthy?

Spanish onions are healthy because they contain high levels of antioxidants, which help to lower cholesterol in the blood, reduce triglyceride levels, and protect against heart disease.

Because the variety contains anti-inflammatory properties, it helps to lower blood pressure and prevent blood clots.

However, eating excessive amounts of any onions, including Spanish onions, is unhealthy because eating onions in excess can cause digestive problems like acid reflux.

Spanish Onion Substitutes

Spanish onions can be used as substitutes for any onion to make a recipe sweeter. If a recipe calls for Spanish onions, other onions can also work as substitutes. Here are some ways that Spanish onions compare to other varieties.

Spanish Onions vs. Yellow Onions

Yellow onions have a higher acid content and a tarter flavor than Spanish onions.

These onions are also smaller and have a thicker, tougher skin than Spanish onions. Spanish onions have more tender flesh.

For a tarter flavor with more of a tang, use yellow onions as a substitute for Spanish onions in salads and cooked foods.

Spanish Onions vs. Sweet Onion

Although the Spanish onion is rated as a sweet onion variety, sweet onions have less sulfur and more natural sugar. These qualities make sweet onions even sweeter than Spanish onions.

Sweet onions can be a substitute for Spanish onions when eaten raw in salads, and in cooked foods. Use sweet onions for more intense sweetness in salads, salsas, sauces, and casseroles.

Spanish Onion vs. White Onion

White onions are tarter and less sweet than Spanish onions. Use white onions in salads and cooked foods for a more pungent, tangy flavor.

However, the strong, pungent flavor of white onions can be reduced during cooking, which can make the white onion a more suitable substitute for Spanish onions.

Spanish Onion vs. Vidalia Onion

The Vidalia onion is an extra-sweet onion that is popularly eaten raw in salads and added to cooked sauces and salsas. Because both varieties are sweet, so Vidalia onions can substitute for Spanish in most recipes.

Where to Buy Spanish Onions

Most supermarkets and fruit and vegetable stores sell Spanish onions. These onions are usually planted towards the end of winter and ripen in mid-summer, so the variety is available from mid-July to mid-September.

Some large supermarket chains use cold-storage facilities to prolong the availability period of these onions, often selling Spanish onions that have not been freshly harvested. While these onions are still good to eat, they are better when fresh. Smaller specialty fruit and veg stores are more likely to sell freshly harvested Spanish onions.

How to Plant and Harvest Spanish Onions

If finding Spanish onions is difficult, you can grow Spanish onions yourself. These onions are easy to grow, and ensure that you have genuine Spanish onions and not any other type of onion.

Choose a spot in full sun for growing Spanish onions and plant seeds from March–April. Planting a few seeds every two weeks throughout March and April will ensure you have a constant supply of Spanish onions throughout the summer.

Sow seeds in rich soil, 3–4 inches apart. Fertilizing with sulfate-rich fertilizer encourages more tart, stronger onions, while using a nitrate-based fertilizer results in a milder, sweeter flavor.

Keep the soil moist by watering lightly every three days. Avoid over-watering, which could cause rotting. About four months after planting, when the tops of the onions start to bend over and the color changes from greenish-white to brown, the onions are ready for harvesting.

How to Store Spanish Onions

Leave Spanish onions out in the open to dry for one week after harvesting, then remove the tops so that only 1 inch of stem remains.

Spanish onions will last for up to two weeks when stored correctly. Store Spanish onions in a basket in a cool, dry place, out of direct sunlight. Avoid placing the onions in a plastic bag because onions sweat, causing moisture to build up in the bag, which makes the onions go moldy and rot.

Don’t store whole Spanish onions in the fridge. The onions will become soft and lose their flavor. Once an onion has been cut, store the remainder of the onion in a sealed glass container in the fridge, where it will last for a week to 10 days.

Storing cut or sliced onions in a plastic container transfers the onion’s pungent smell to the container, and it’s difficult to get rid of the smell afterward.

Using Spanish Onions in Recipes

Raw slices of Spanish onion are great in salads and as toppings on burgers or hot dogs. Grill a thick piece of Spanish onion for two minutes before putting it on your burger as a sweet topping.

For a sweet flavor with an onion tang, add sliced or chopped Spanish onions when cooking sauces, salsas, stews, and soups.

Like other onions, Spanish onions will make you cry when chopping or slicing because the natural chemicals in the onions release sharp fumes. Here are some tips to avoid these fumes:

Wear safety or swimming goggles to protect your eyes from the onion’s fumes
Work in front of a fan that blows the fumes away from you
Use a sharp knife to limit the damage to the cells containing the chemicals, creating fewer fumes. A sharp knife also enables you to work as quickly as possible
Burn a scented candle next to your workspace
Soak the onions in cold water for a few minutes before cutting them

7 Restaurants That Cook in Front of You

Last Updated on November 5, 2022 by Simply Healthy Family - Team

Teppanyaki and hibachi restaurants are Japanese restaurants that grill the food over an open flame in front of customers. Customers enjoy going to these restaurants to watch chefs prepare their fresh food. Customers can also witness the impressive skills of the chef making their food.

Japanese Restaurants Where They Cook in Front of You

Finding Japanese restaurants that cook in front of you can be difficult, but chain teppanyaki and hibachi restaurants like Benihana and Shogun can be found across the United States.

Benihana: Across the US

Benihana is one of the most famous hibachi chain restaurants, with locations all over the United States. This restaurant, founded in 1964, was one of the first places that brought hibachi and teppanyaki to the United States.

The chefs at Benihana cook the food on a hibachi grill, in front of the customers, and impress the guests with speedy, expert knife tricks.

Benihana’s popular dishes include:

Hibachi Chicken — $20.70
Hibachi Shrimp — $25.60
Filet Mignon — $27.40
Hibachi Tuna Steak — $25.20
Hibachi Chicken Rice — $4.20, $8.40, or $16.80 (depending on size)

Despite Benihana’s popularity, some people find the food less authentic than traditional Japanese hibachi food. Benihana is also more expensive than other restaurants, so it may not suit customers on a budget.

Shogun: Across Southern California

Shogun Japanese Grill & Sushi Bar is a teppanyaki and sushi restaurant chain with various locations across Southern California. This restaurant is popular because of the unique dining experience it offers and the ability for guests to watch their food being made.

This restaurant’s popular dishes include:

Teriyaki Chicken — $24.95
Filet Mignon — $34.75
New York Steak — $20.25-$23.50
Half Roll Trio — $22.95

Although Shogun is a popular restaurant chain, not everyone enjoys it. The restaurant is more expensive than most restaurants, so it’s not ideal for people on a low budget. Many of Shogun’s popular dishes are meat-based, so this restaurant may not be as popular with vegetarians and vegans.

Sakura Japanese Steak, Seafood House & Sushi Bar: Across the US

First established in 1988 by Marc Ha, Sakura Japanese Steak, Seafood House & Sushi Bar originally opened in Fredericksburg, Virginia, before opening locations across the United States.

This Japanese hibachi restaurant offers a range of teppanyaki dishes as well as sushi and steak. Customers enjoy the high-quality ingredients and the option to watch their food be cooked live by expert chefs.

This restaurant’s popular dishes include:

Scallops — $30.95
Filet Mignon — $32.95
Lobster — $40.95
Shrimp and Chicken Combo — $26.95

This popular restaurant may not be popular with vegans and vegetarians because the menu is mostly based on meat and fish. This Japanese eatery is also quite expensive.

Teppanyaki Vs. Hibachi

Teppanyaki and hibachi are similar styles of cooking, both originating from Japan, that grill food over an open flame. Both styles are used in restaurants that cook in front of guests, such as Benihana and Shogun restaurants. However, there are a couple of key differences.

A hibachi is a small, cast iron, open-grate, charcoal barbecue grill used for cooking Japanese food. Modern hibachis are electric.

Teppanyaki refers to a style of grilling that uses an iron griddle with a flat surface to prepare food in front of restaurant guests. Teppanyaki grills tend to use a propane grill as their source of heat.

Restaurants where chefs cook and do tricks in front of you include:

Benihana (across the US)
Shogun (across Southern California)
Sakura Japanese Steak, Seafood House & Sushi Bar (across the US)
Sakura Teppanyaki and Sushi (California)
Arirang Hibachi Steakhouse and Sushi Bar (New York)
Nikko (New York)
Flame (New York)

Asian Restaurants & Chains

Teppanyaki restaurants are not available in all areas of the United States, but there are other Asian restaurant chains that can provide a similar fun experience:

Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ, across the US and Canada ($$): A hibachi restaurant with a twist. Instead of the chefs cooking the food live in front of you, you can cook the food yourself on a charcoal grill. There are Gyu-Kaku locations all across the US and also in Canada

Dons Bogam Wine Bar & BBQ, New York City ($$$): Another hibachi restaurant, but it specializes in Korean food, not Japanese food. This high-end restaurant is known for its Korean beef. Menu specialties include pork belly and lobster tail

Kura Revolving Sushi Bar, across the US ($$): This restaurant is well-known for its handmade sushi that makes its way to customers on a conveyor belt. Kura offers traditional sushi dishes including tuna rolls and shrimp avocado rolls

Haidilao, across the US ($$$): This restaurant is known for serving delicious, authentic Chinese hot pot. Haidilao is an international chain that currently offers restaurants in the USA

Okinii Japanese Restaurant, New York ($$$): A laid-back Japanese restaurant specializing in sushi, sashimi, and maki

What is Lychee? Flavor Guide & Appearance

Last Updated on June 2, 2022 by Simply Healthy Family - Team

Lychee is a sweet and juicy tropical fruit with a unique appearance. The fruit is native to the southeastern and southwestern provinces of China, where it was cultivated for almost a millennium. Lychee also grows well in the warmer regions of the United States, including Hawaii.

Fresh lychee can be found in large grocery stores across the US, and it’s often sold canned, and easily found in the canned goods aisle in many stores. Canned and dried lychee is often sold in Asian supermarkets.

What Does Lychee Fruit Look Like?

Lychee is a small fruit that grows on the evergreen tree, called Litchi chinensis. The fruits have bright red or pink skin covered in small bumps. Lychee usually has an oval shape, but it can also be rounded or heart-shaped. Lychee can measure up to 2 inches in length and 1.5 inches in width. Some say that lychee looks like a big raspberry or strawberry because of its colors and form.

On the inside, lychee has translucent white flesh, which is the edible part of the fruit. In the middle of the flesh, there is a solid brown, toxic seed.

Several tropical fruits look like lychee. Rambutan also has red skin and white flesh, similar to a lychee, but its skin has soft green or orange hairs, which lychee doesn’t have. Rambutan has a buttery flavor compared to the tartness and freshness of lychee.

Longan is another tropical fruit from the same family as lychee. Longan has a skin of a similar texture to lychee, but longan fruits have light brown or sand-colored, rather than red, skin, and the fruits are smaller than lychees.

Mangosteen has a similar structure to a lychee, with firm skin surrounding soft white flesh. However, a mangosteen’s skin is smoother than lychee, and dark purple instead of red. The texture of mangosteen on the inside is not jelly-like, like a lychee, but creamy and soft.

What Does Lychee Taste Like?

The taste of lychee is sweet, balanced by a gentle tartness. Lychee has notes of strawberry, watermelon, pear, and grape. When underripe, lychee has more sour and citrusy notes. Many tropical fruits have a taste similar to lychee, including rambutan, mangosteen, and passion fruit.

Lychee fruit is firm, delicate, juicy, and similar in texture to a ripe grape. Its scent is reminiscent of roses and can be described as floral.

How to Eat Lychee

The skin of ripe lychee fruit is easy to peel and can be removed without effort using a knife or your fingers. Because the fruit is so delicate on the inside, be careful when removing the skin to avoid squishing the flesh. After removing the skin, eat the white flesh in one bite and spit out the seed, or, cut the fruit in half and remove the seed before enjoying the fruit.

Ripe lychee’s reddish skin should give in slightly but feel firm when touched. Underripe lychee has greenish or yellowish skin that shouldn’t be eaten, and an overripe fruit has cracks and brown spots on the skin. If the fruit smells fermented — sour, tangy, or vinegar-like — it’s likely overripe and shouldn’t be eaten.

Lychee Health Facts

Lychee has many health benefits and is rich in antioxidants and vitamins. In general, a daily fruit intake of 1.5-2 cups increases resistance to heart disease and stroke.

Lychee is rich in vitamin C. A 100-gram serving of lychee contains over 71 milligrams of vitamin C, which almost meets the recommended daily intake for an adult. The lychee fruit also has polyphenol, known as oligonol, which acts as an effective antioxidant and has been found to aid weight loss.

However, lychee can cause unusual allergic reactions in some people, with reported symptoms including itching, inflammation in the mouth, and rash.

Ways to Use Lychee: Cooking & Cocktails

Lychee is a popular ingredient in many sweet dishes and cocktails thanks to the fruit’s delicate floral scent and balanced sweetness.

Lychee can be a great addition to a fruit salad or as a topping for yogurt or porridge. Peel and cut the lychee into small pieces and add it to these foods to enhance the flavors and add sweetness to regular breakfast dishes.

Lychee is commonly used in Asian cuisines as an addition to savory dishes. Lychee juice can another dimension of flavor to a vegetable or meat stir-fry, or be used as a sauce with other savory dishes, like dumplings.

The lychee fruit is a common sorbet flavor and ingredient in ice creams, used on its own or mixed with other ingredients, like lime or ginger, to bring out more of the fruit’s unique floral flavors.

Because of its strong scent and unusual taste, lychee is used in a variety of alcoholic cocktails. Lychee works especially well in martinis, mixed with vodka and vermouth, and paired with other fruits, like lemon, coconut, or melon.

Classic Lychee Martini Recipe

This lychee martini recipe makes two beautiful martinis.

Ingredients (2 servings):

1 can lychee
2 ounces vodka
3 ounces lychee liqueur
1 lime, juiced, save one slice
Scoop of ice
Splash sparkling wine or champagne

Method:

In a shaker, mix 1 ounce of lychee juice from a can with vodka, lychee liqueur, a splash of lime juice, and ice. Shake well for around 30 seconds, then pour the mixture into two martini glasses. Take out two lychee fruits from the can and place one in each of the martini glasses. Top the cocktails with sparkling wine or champagne, decorate the rim of the glass with a slice of lime, and serve.

Storing Lychee

Lychee season in the US starts in late spring and ends in late summer. Fresh ripe lychee should be stored in a fridge for 5 to 10 days, or two to three days at room temperature. In the fridge, lychees are best kept in a plastic bag or closed container, and the fridge should be kept at around 40°F. Lychee can also be frozen, but only with its peel still on.

Dried lychee can be stored for up to one year at room temperature. Canned lychee keeps well for six months, but once the can is opened, the fruit should be eaten in the next two to three days.

What Does Trout Taste Like: Flavor Guide

Last Updated on June 1, 2022 by Simply Healthy Family - Team

Trout has a mild, slightly nutty, fishy flavor and is known to taste like salmon, catfish, and tilapia fish. Trout is sometimes referred to as “the chicken of the sea” because the fish has a bland, adaptable taste that takes on the flavors of the sauces and seasonings the fish is cooked in.

Trout is a popular fish for cooking because the fish has a delicate flavor and texture, making the fish very versatile.

How Does Trout Taste?

Trout has a nut-like, slightly fishy taste. Fresh, newly-caught trout has the mildest taste, while trout that is nearing its use-by date has a strong fishy odor and taste.

Different types of trouts have different flavors. Trout is classed as an oily fish, and some types of trout are oilier than others.

Does Trout Taste Good?

Yes, trout tastes good. The fish has a mild flavor that appeals to people who don’t enjoy strong fishy flavors or smells.

Trout takes on the flavors of the seasonings and oils it’s cooked with, enhancing its taste. The best-tasting trout are brown trout (which has the sharpest fish-like taste) and rainbow trout (which has a pronounced nutty taste).

Does Trout Taste Fishy?

No, trout doesn’t taste very fishy. The fish has one of the mildest fish flavors, which can be disguised with seasonings and spices if you don’t enjoy the fishy taste.

Spoiled trout has a fishy flavor and smell. Brown trout has a fishier flavor than other types of trout. To avoid a fishy flavor, opt for a mild-flavored trout, like rainbow trout.

Types of Trout & What Influences Trout Flavor?

There are several factors that affect a trout’s flavor, including:

Where the trout was caught: Saltwater fish have a saltier flavor than freshwater fish
How the trout was caught: Farmed trout have a fattier, more neutral taste than wild-caught fish, which typically have a more fishy flavor
Whether the trout are spawning: Trout have a higher fat content as they approach spawning, resulting in a fishy flavor when these fats begin to oxidize
The freshness of the fish: The fresher the trout, the milder it tastes
The type of trout: Some trout, like sea trout, have a stronger, fishier taste than others

Rainbow Trout

Rainbow trout has a mildly-fishy, slightly-nutty taste, and a flaky, delicate texture. This type of trout is the most popular in cooking and is used in a variety of Mediterranean dishes.

Rainbow trout goes well with seasonings and herbs like lemon, pepper, garlic, dill, olive oil, capers, and butter.

Rainbow trout can be used as a substitute for other whitefish with delicate flavors, like flounders, groupers, and tilefish.

Brown Trout

Brown trout has a stronger, fishier, and muddier flavor than other trout. The fish is popular because its robust flavors don’t require heavy seasoning like other types of trout. Brown trout is tasty when baked or grilled with garlic butter, almonds, onions, leeks, and fennel.

Brown trout is a good substitute for catfish, flounders, lake trout, and striped bass.

Brook Trout

Brook trout has a delicate, almost sweet flavor compared to other trout. The fish is the purest trout species and tends to be expensive but is popular in cooking because of its tenderness and mild flavor. Brook trout tastes best when grilled with butter, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste.

Atlantic cod, halibut, rainbow trout, and white sea bass can all be substituted for brook trout.

Steelhead Trout

Steelhead trout is the most salmon-like trout, with a fishier taste than other types of trout. The fish is highly versatile and can be prepared in many different ways — it can be cured, pickled, smoked, grilled, cooked with the skin on, roasted, and more.

The best seasonings to pair with steelhead trout are lemon, butter, dill, olive oil, red pepper flakes, and Italian seasoning.

Steelhead trout can be used as a substitute for salmon, butterfish, and flounders.

Sea Trout

Sea trout, or ocean trout, is an orangey-pink trout with a medium flakiness and a mild-to-moderate fishy flavor. This type of trout is bigger than other trout species and doesn’t need much seasoning, making the fish popular for cooking.

The fish pairs well with robust flavorings, like chorizo, or earthy foods like summer vegetables and salads.

Sea trout can be swapped for other versatile ocean fish, like bluefish, striped bass, and Arctic char.

Which Trout Tastes Like Salmon?

Steelhead trout has the most similar taste and appearance to salmon. Wild steelhead trout has a more intense salmon-like taste than farmed steelhead trout.

Sea trout also resembles salmon in flavor. Rainbow trout has a mild salmon-like flavor and is more widely available and affordable than sea trout or steelhead trout.

How to Improve Trout Flavor

Trout is relatively flavorless, but its flavor can be enhanced using a variety of preparation and cooking methods.

If you enjoy a fishy flavor, buy saltwater trout, which is naturally fishier than farmed types of trout. To add more flavor to a mild trout, cook the trout with oils and seasonings like garlic powder, olive oil, sea salt, black pepper, and parsley.

To make the trout taste less fishy, soak it in an acid like lemon juice or vinegar, which reacts with the fish’s trimethylamine (TMA, which gives the fishy flavor) to form odorless ammonium salts. Alternatively, soak the trout in milk, which binds with TMA and removes it from the fish.

Cooking Trout

The best-tasting trout are rainbow trout and brown trout. Steelhead trout tastes most similar to salmon. To cook trout with the best flavor and texture, soak the trout in milk or lemon juice for 30 minutes and then bake the fish, wrapped in aluminum foil, with olive oil and your preferred seasonings.

Lemon Juice vs Lemon – What’s the Difference?

Last Updated on May 26, 2022 by Simply Healthy Family - Team

Lemon juice and lemon are two closely related foods, but they are not the same. Both foods have a sour, acidic taste. However, lemon is a whole fruit including peel, seeds, and pulp. Lemon juice is only the juice extracted from the lemon fruit and does not contain peel or seeds, though it may contain pulp. Extracting lemon juice from lemon is not challenging, but buying pre-made lemon juice from a grocery store may be more convenient.

While the consistencies and textures of lemon juice and lemon are different (one is solid and one is liquid), the flavor is the same.

Comparison Chart: Is Lemon Juice the Same as Lemon?

	Lemon	Lemon Juice
Ingredients	Whole lemon	Juice from lemon, occasionally water If store-bought: possibly preservatives and lemon oil
Uses	Add zest to dishes with lemon peel, chop up and eat the fruit, use it as flavoring	Add flavor to salads and other foods
Price	About $2.50 per pound. About $0.62 for one lemon	About $0.62 per juiced lemon. About $1.79–$5.00 per bottle
Where to buy	Most local grocery stores and major grocery chains	Most local grocery stores, major grocery chains, online
Nutrition information	Vitamin C and fiber, protein, potassium, Vitamin B6, magnesium, iron, calcium	Vitamin C, fiber, and calcium, iron, and magnesium
Preferred for	Cooking, baking, particularly in citrus upside-down cake, fish dishes, and chicken dishes	Flavoring, cooking, baking, particularly in lemon bars, lemonade, and lemon chicken

Lemon Juice Explained

Lemon juice has a tangy and sharp flavor and has many uses, such as making drinks or cocktails and adding flavor to salads, meat dishes, and desserts like lemon bars. Lemon juice ingredients depend on whether the juice is freshly squeezed or store-bought.

Freshly squeezed lemon juice contains only lemon and may contain some pulp and seeds if it hasn’t been strained. The juice is squeezed from the fruit, and the seeds are removed. Most people like to remove the pulp as well, by straining or using a special juicing device.

Store-bought lemon juice may contain water, lemon oil, and preservatives, depending on the company that produced it.

Uses

Lemon juice has many uses, particularly for marinades, in drinks like lemonade, or for baking or cooking meals such as lemon chicken or lemon cake. It’s also used to flavor meats like chicken, beef steak, and shrimp. It may also be used as a salad dressing to add a sharp, citrus flavor.

In beverages, lemon juice is ideal for making lemonade and other drinks like lemon drop cocktails. As a baking ingredient, lemon juice provides a great sharp and tangy taste and can also be used in jams to help the jam set properly.

An extremely popular way to use lemon juice is in lemonade, which is easily made using water, sugar, and lemon juice.

Where to Buy

Buy lemon juice at almost any grocery store in the US. Lemon juice is sold in a bottle and usually ranges from $1.79 to $5.00. Lemon juice is very common and easy to find. If preferred, lemon juice can also be made from scratch by squeezing the juice out of lemons by hand or with a juicer.

Health

Lemon juice is healthy and is packed with vitamin C. It also includes fiber, calcium, iron, and magnesium. Lemon juice has health benefits including alleviating sore throats, helping with digestion, and keeping the skin healthy.

Lemon Explained

A whole lemon can be used in a variety of ways for cooking and baking. Lemon peel is often used for the zest on the outer peel. Lemons contain many vitamins such as vitamin C, potassium, and vitamin B6. Lemon also has health benefits like keeping the heart healthy and potentially lowering cholesterol.

Uses

As an ingredient, lemons are often used in baking, cooking, and flavoring. Use lemons as a garnish on a variety of dishes and drinks or to flavor dishes like chicken or salmon. Lemon zest is often used in cocktails. Another tasty way to use lemon is in lemon desserts, such as citrus upside-down cake.

Where to Buy

Lemons are easy to find in most local grocery stores and major grocery chains in the US. Lemons usually cost around $2.40 per pound or $0.62 for one.

Health

Lemons are healthy, mostly due to the large amount of vitamin C they contain. Lemons also contain fiber. Some health benefits of lemons include clear skin, better digestion, lower blood pressure, and kidney stone prevention.

Choosing Lemon vs Lemon Juice

Both lemons and lemon juice have many uses in cooking, baking, flavoring, and making drinks. While lemon juice is used often in drinks and cooking to help flavor foods like meat, lemons are usually used more sparingly, in small quantities, due to their sharp, acidic taste. For instance, lemon wedges are often used simply as a garnish.

Sometimes using lemon or lemon juice depends purely on preference. It may also depend on what the recipe calls for. The two ingredients can be used interchangeably in many dishes. For instance, lemon water can be made by adding lemon juice to the water or slices of lemon, depending on preference.

Lemon bars can also be made using either lemons or lemon juice. You can even use yuzu, which is a Japanese lemon, for a stronger flavor. And some lemon chicken recipes call for lemon juice, but you can garnish with sliced lemons or sliced yuzu. When choosing between lemon and lemon juice, consider what the recipe calls for and how much sourness and acidity you prefer.