Lemon Oil

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There are two types of Lemon Oil used for food.

The first is not actually a Lemon Oil; it is instead Olive Oil infused with Lemon. See entry on Colonna Oils for one example of this.

The second is a very strong essence of Lemon, stronger than Lemon Extract, which is cold pressed from lemon rinds and mixed with a neutral oil. It is sold in very small bottles. Be very wary of using more than 1/4 teaspoon in any recipe. Lemon Oil has better flavour than Lemon Extract, but still doesn't carry the real nuances that lemon zest would.

A well-known brand in North America is Furst-McNess.

Don't confuse either type of Lemon Oil with the lemon oil that is a furniture polish.


Equivalents
1/8 teaspoon lemon oil for baking = 1 teaspoon lemon extract = 1 teaspoon zest

Also called:
Essence de citron (French); Esencia del limón (Spanish) Top...