When a recipe calls for lemon juice, do you reach for a fresh one or the pre-bottled version?
Does it really matter which one you pick? Let me ask you this, if I sing "Fly Me to the Moon", is it the same as when you listen to Frank Sinatra singing it? It is the same song, but I would argue Frank does it much better... same with lemons!
Use fresh whenever possible. You do not know how long that juice has been bottled up. Fresh produce will yield fresher, brighter flavors. I would argue the stuff in the bottle is bitter and not fresh in the slightest. One main reason to use lemon juice is to brighten a dish with it's acidy and balance the flavor profile. Also the bottled stuff has added preservatives. If you need to store lemons, they will keep up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.
Need just a squeeze of two? Don't waste the rest of it. Squeeze the remainder into a mason jar and store it in the refrigerator. Also don't forget the outside! Zest is hands down one of the best ingredients to add to a dish to make it seem like you are eating a restaurant quality meal!