How Many Ounces Of Juice Are In One Lemon?

When it comes to fresh, ripe lemons (whether regular or Meyer), a little juice goes a long way. You can flavor a tall water bottle with a single lemon slice or drizzle a little lemon juice into a cream sauce to cut through its richness. The exact number of fluid ounces in one piece of fruit will vary slightly depending on whether you're buying small or large lemons; a small lemon weighs around 3 ounces while a large one weighs around 6 ounces. In general, smaller lemons will yield around 1 fluid ounce of juice but up to 1.5, while you can expect to get around 2.5 fluid ounces of out of large fruits.

When in doubt, it's always better to underestimate the amount of juice you'll get — you'd rather have leftover lemons than not enough. If you don't have a small enough measuring cup to adequately measure 1 fluid ounce, there are a few alternatives. You can measure lemon juice in a shot glass, which yields 1.5 ounces and is a great option if you're making a cocktail like a whiskey sour, or convert it to tablespoons (2 tablespoons equals 1 fluid ounce of juice).

Something to note: When it comes to flavored water, you don't need to worry much about eyeballing a squeeze of lemon juice. But if you're following a recipe, such as for a lemon pound cake, measuring it becomes crucial for striking the right flavor balance. It's always best to measure the fluid ounces properly rather than guessing based on the size of your lemon, but there is a simple way to gauge how much juice you'll get from a lemon without even cutting it open. While at the store, choose the lemons with the palest color and thin skin. Pick up each one and gently squeeze it. If it's soft and has a little give that means the fruit has plenty of juice. Bright, firm lemons won't be as easy to squeeze and won't let out as much liquid.

Fortunately, there are tricks you can try to squeeze out every last drop of lemon juice. For instance, you can coax the liquid out by rolling an uncut lemon on the counter or microwaving it for a few seconds. While these age-old methods generally work well, picking out pale lemons is still your best bet for getting the most juice possible.