My apology to lemon juice

I used to not understand why acidity (through adding lemon juice) was so important in certain dishes.

Every time I watched a cooking video where the cook added lemon juice to a hearty soup or a pasta sauce, I cringed. “That can’t be good…” I thought.

I was a fool.

Today, I was making a Turkish-inspired lentil soup, one of my favourites. Well, I accidentally burned the onions and garlic. Only slightly — not too much — but definitely just enough to be noticeable.

The cheapskate that I am, instead of tossing it and starting over as I should have, I rolled with it... which turned out to be a big mistake. The bitterness was definitely there.

Panicked, I looked online, and learned that apparently, lemon juice can offset some of such bitterness. Desperate, I added just about a tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice, and simmered it on low for a bit longer than I usually would.

It worked.

When I tasted it once it was finished, I couldn’t believe it. The bitterness was gone. My husband, unaware of the situation, happily ate it without noticing anything unusual. I even asked afterwards, and he insisted it tasted just as it usually does.

So, lemon juice… I’m sorry. I now respect you in hearty recipes, not just in fresh ones or in tea. I will definitely never doubt your addition again.