How Do I Choose the Best Lemon Pepper Marinade?

If you would like to add a zesty flavor to grilled seafood or chicken, a lemon pepper marinade may be right for you. The ideal sauce will not be extremely spicy or sour even though lemon juice and black pepper is used to make it. If possible, open the lid of the bottle so you can see what the marinade smells like. It should have a pleasant aroma that is not too strong or acidic. You may want to shake the bottle to see if the ingredients mix well, as this can affect the flavor of the meat you cook with this product.

Reading the ingredients listed on the bottle can help you choose a lemon pepper marinade. Some things that this sauce may include are brown sugar and soy sauce along with seasonings like garlic, onion salt, or rosemary. Avoid brands that have a great deal of artificial ingredients such as food coloring or preservatives, as these can be unhealthy for people to consume.

It can be helpful to look at the color of the marinade when you are choosing. The ideal lemon pepper marinade will be a light to medium yellow color with a few black specks of pepper for visual interest. Avoid those that are extremely dark because they may primarily contain a different type of citrus juice or be very old.

When you are cooking with marinades, you may have some leftover product. This means you should find out how to store unused portions of lemon pepper marinade before you buy it. Many brands require marinade to be covered and stored in a refrigerator, but you may be able to store some types at room temperature. Storing this sauce in the refrigerator could be difficult if you have limited space in your icebox, in which case you may want to buy a brand that can be placed in the pantry.

If you would like a very fresh lemon pepper marinade, you may want to consider making this product yourself. A homemade marinade can be easy to make by combining all the ingredients in a blender until they are well mixed. One of the advantages of doing this is that you can purchase fresh lemons, which can greatly enhance the flavor of the dish you are cooking with marinade. You can also make it when you are ready to use it, so you can be sure the ingredients are not stale, as this could cause some types of seafood to taste bland.