Any alternatives for citrus fruits?

[RomanAnthonysMama]

I'm allergic to almost anything with citrus in it, so I'm always looking for new recipes that have alternatives for citrus fruits. I love lemon zest and things of that nature, but I just can't eat it, even as a little flavoring. I was wondering if anyone knew of any other ingredients that resemble citrus fruits that I could use without getting a reaction? Thanks!

 

[cheffs]

I have found that I am allergic to the peels of citrus fruits. I ate the grapefruit off of a peel last week and my entire mouth went numb for a good long while. So, I am also interested in any substitutes or alternatives for citrus fruits. If anyone can help Roman and myself I would greatly appreciate the knowledge.

 

[Arch]

Not sure about fruits, but there are herbs that have a lemony flavour - lemon thyme and lemon verbena. They might work as flavourings - not exactly like lemon, but suggestive of it.

 

[OhioTom76]

Do you have any problems with vinegars? They will provide a lot of flavors as well as tartness. You could use vinegar in place of lime juice in salsas for example. You might also consider something like white grape juice.

I didn't know you could become allergic to citrus fruits, that has to be really frustrating since citric acid is used in just about everything.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

the vinegar suggestion is quite a good one. I often substitute lemon juice for cider vinegar or white wine vinegar if I have no lemons available and you can rarely tell with things such as pates and full cooked meals. I can't see it would work for some recipes but for each 2tbsp of lemon juice, use 1tbsp of cider or white wine vinegar.