5 Tips And Tricks To Squeeze Out Every Last Drop Of Lemon Juice

Nothing beats freshly squeezed lemon juice. Whether you're making lemonade, flavoring seafood, or adding delicious tangy notes to a dessert, you'll never regret opting for fresh juice over the bottled alternative. However, some people steer clear of real lemons because they feel like no matter how hard they squeeze, they never get enough juice. If you don't feel confident in your juicing abilities, real lemons might feel like they aren't worth the cost or the effort.

Luckily, there are plenty of hacks to help you make the most out of those lemons in your fruit bowl. One option is to get a citrus squeezer or a lemon press, both of which are very affordable. If you feel like you don't juice lemons often enough to warrant getting a new gadget, there are several other tricks to get every last drop using only what you already have in your kitchen (all you need is a fork for one of them). With the help of these five hacks, you'll never need to buy bottled lemon juice again.

We all know how cold the grocery store can be. When you bring a lemon home from that chilly environment and immediately try to squeeze it, you might find the citrus fruit hard and unyielding. The same is true if you keep your lemons in the fridge until you're ready to use them. That's because when lemons are exposed to cold temperatures, the juicy membranes start to firm up, making it difficult to squeeze any liquid out. With chilled lemons, you end up working harder for less juice.

If you're starting with a cold lemon, all you need to do is pop it in the microwave for about 20 to 30 seconds depending on the size. As the lemon warms up it will soften, allowing the juice to flow more freely. Once you take the lemon out of the microwave, let it cool for a minute first so the peel is no longer warm to the touch.

Like the microwave hack, this tip is another great way to prime your lemon before you even begin the juicing process. You can use this method in conjunction with the microwave trick or any of the other tips on this list. All you need is your hand and a hard, flat surface like a table or countertop to get started.

Using the palm of your hand, roll the lemon back and forth on the counter, applying pressure as you go. Don't be afraid to press down firmly on the lemon as the goal is to loosen and break open the pockets of juice inside. You'll know you've done enough rolling when the lemon feels softer and spongier than when you began. With the lemon's juicy membranes burst before you've even cut into it, you'll get a deluge of free-flowing juice with the slightest squeeze. This trick is especially helpful when using lemons that aren't quite ripe and are still firm. 

Once you're ready to begin juicing the lemon, it helps to have something other than just your hand to squeeze out every drop of juice. If you don't have any tools specifically meant for juicing, you can use a plain old fork. Start by cutting a nice, soft lemon in half (use the rolling or microwave technique for best results).

Next, hold the lemon over a container of your choice as you stick the fork into the center of the fruit and move it back and forth, breaking open the membranes and releasing the juice. You may need to stick the fork into a few different areas of the lemon and repeat the process to get all the liquid out. Keep in mind that this method won't prevent the lemon's seeds from coming out with the juice, so be prepared to fish them out with a spoon unless you have a mesh strainer to separate the seeds from the juice.

If you don't have a mesh strainer and want to juice a lemon without worrying about seeds, you might want to try a hack that's been making the rounds on TikTok. Without cutting open your lemon, use a toothpick to poke a hole into the stem end. Move the toothpick in and out several times to loosen the membranes inside, ensuring that the lemon juice will freely flow through the hole. Then, simply squeeze the lemon for seedless, pulpless juice with no mess.

If you try this method with a hard, underripe lemon, you may find that no juice comes out or that you have to squeeze very hard to get any liquid. For best results with the toothpick hack, roll the lemon on a countertop or microwave it first to get the juices flowing. You can also try poking multiple holes in the bottom of the lemon instead of just one in the stem.

If you're juicing lemons with any frequency, you might want to consider getting a citrus reamer or lemon press. They're inexpensive and easy to use, and more importantly, they make it easy to squeeze every last drop out of a lemon. These simple tools are especially helpful if you need to juice a large quantity of lemons at once.

With a lemon press, simply place the halved lemon into the press juicy side down and squeeze it shut. Then, hold the lemon press over the container of your choice to catch all the juice as it easily flows out. A citrus reamer is another great tool for thoroughly excavating all the juice from a lemon. With a handheld reamer, you'll need a mesh strainer to catch the seeds as you twist the reamer inside of a halved lemon. There are also manual citrus reamers with a tray attached to catch the juice. Some have trays with holes big enough for the juice to flow into a bowl below without letting any seeds through. To use this type of juicer, simply place a halved lemon on the reamer with the juicy side down and twist as the juice pours into the tray.