The Toothpick Hack To Juice Lemons Without Ever Slicing Them

A squeeze of lemon juice goes a long way in brightening up your cooking. Whether added to a baked salmon or a sheet pan of roasted veggies, the citrus fruit's acidity can enhance the flavors of all kinds of dishes. Thanks to its zesty kick, lemon juice is just as important for whiskey sours and comparably tart cocktails, too. Since it tastes best when it's fresh, not bottled, you should tap directly into a lemon whenever possible. Don't have a citrus squeezer handy? No problem. Try a toothpick instead, no slicing required.

Like so many other useful cooking hacks spread far and wide on the internet, this viral trick for juicing a lemon is sweet — or, more accurately, sour — and simple. Take a toothpick (or a skewer) and poke it through one of the lemon's ends to create a hole. It should be driven far enough to create a channel for juice to travel through, but not so far that it goes through the fruit's other end. The final step is to squeeze the lemon until a stream of juice appears, giving the phrase "easy peasy lemon squeezy" a new meaning.

For best results, use a ripe lemon that's tender when pressed. Too ripe, though, and the fruit might burst when squeezed hard, making a sticky, citrusy mess. Before juicing, pop the lemon in the microwave or roll it between your hands. This loosens or breaks the fruit's membranes to ensure you get the most juice out of each squeeze.

Wondering when to test this lemon-juicing trick out yourself? There are a few instances in which the humble toothpick could become your best friend for handling citrus. If you're cooking while camping, chances are you didn't bring a juice press along on the adventure. As long as you have a sharp skewer or toothpick in your supplies, there's no reason that foil-wrapped salmon has to be eaten without some tangy seasoning. The same is true of picnics and other situations where you want fresh lemon juice but don't want to deal with the hassle of carrying (and cleaning) a citrus squeezer. And as a bonus, any leftover juice stays stored in the fruit itself. Clearly, this hack is one of the least messy and most convenient lemon-juicing methods.

However, if you're cooking from the comfort of your own kitchen, armed with a full arsenal of tools and gadgets, this approach may not be the best. For making the most out of your lemons, a manual juice press and citrus reamer are most effective at getting every last drop of juice out of the fruit. Plus, if you're processing a whole bagful for a pitcher of pink lemonade, a more conventional method will be faster, not to mention easier, on your hands. Surely, squeezing a ton of lemons would be quite the trial of grip strength. But if you only have one or two, this lemon-juicing hack is worth a stab.