Adherents of a healthy lifestyle very often use lemon juice, it tones up and gives a boost of energy. Yes, in cooking, lemon juice is also often needed. But squeezing the juice out of this fruit is not always easy, especially if there is no juicer at hand. And this is where our tips come in handy – how to squeeze the maximum out of lemon.
- Wait for the lemon to warm to room temperature
Lemons that have been outside the refrigerator for a while, in a warm place, are much easier to squeeze out than cold ones – and you can squeeze out more juice. The low temperature causes the membranes inside the lemon to shrink and harden, making the fruit harder. A room temperature lemon, on the other hand, has a soft texture and is easier to squeeze out of it.
- Heat the lemon in a bowl of water
If there is no time to wait, the lemon can be warmed up. Warm lemons are even softer than room temperature lemons and can produce more juice. Fill a small to medium bowl with warm water, not boiling water. The water should be warm enough to feel warm when you touch the bowl. Put lemon in water and wait 4-5 minutes.
- Roll around the table before cutting
Take a whole lemon and roll it on a hard surface. Press on it harder, so that its shape is slightly deformed, but try not to crush it. You need to roll the lemon in order to break the membranes in its pulp – this way it will be much easier to squeeze it out.
- Preheat in the microwave
With this method, you will get 30-40% more juice. You can either heat it whole or cut it in half so the flesh is not protected, but keeping it whole will prevent liquid from entering the microwave. Heat the lemon in the microwave for 10-20 seconds. Take it out as soon as the skin of the lemon is warm to the touch. The lemon should not be too hot. The disturbed molecules of the lemon liquid will soften and loosen the pulp, making it easier for you to squeeze out the juice, and the membranes containing the juice will be easier to break through.
- “Shock therapy”
Place your lemon in the freezer before microwaveing it. Very low temperatures cause the water to increase in volume and turn it into ice. The increase in fluid volume can weaken or even break through the membranes that contain lemon juice – which means they won’t protect it from you.
After removing the lemon from the freezer, place it in the microwave for 30-60 seconds, until it is soft enough to cut. Liquid molecules, disturbed by the heating, will escape from the membranes with almost no effort.
- Cut to length, not across
By cutting the lemon from top to tail, you will end up with 3 times more juice. If you cut a medium sized lemon across, you will only be able to squeeze out 2-3 tablespoons (30-45 ml) of lemon juice. The larger surface exposes more pulp. The juice can be in a dense layer of pulp, but if the pulp is visible in its entirety, then there will be less juice loss.
- Squeeze out the juice with a fork
After cutting the lemon in half, insert the tines of a fork into the pulp of one of the halves and squeeze out the lemon juice as you would normally. When the flow of juice slows down, turn the fork and continue to squeeze out. Rotate and squeeze until the juice stops flowing, and repeat this process with the other half.
This method is based on the same principles as when using a lemon juicer. The pressure and sharp prongs of the fork help to pierce the membranes, causing more fluid to escape.