You’re Probably Juicing Your Lemons And Limes Wrong

Juicing lemons and limes. So simple a child could do it. So why, oh why, does it defeat so many people? You might be good at it (and if so, please feel free to ignore all of the below), but my personal feeling is that it’s one of those kitchen activities that feels so simple, we never really examine it. Over time, we accept that we’ll never quite get as much juice as we want out of our citrus fruits; we learn to endure seeds falling in our food; and we walk blindly into a juiceless, acid-lacking future. 

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It needn’t be this way, people. Here, I’m talking through some of the main reasons why your lemons, limes, grapefruits, and oranges might not be giving up as much juice as you’d hope – and what you can do instead. The future’s bright; the future’s juicy. 

You’re Trying To Juice When It’s Cold

Juicing citrus fruit straight from the fridge – or even when it’s room temperature – can be slightly less efficient than if you’re working with gently warm fruit. Anyone who’s ever had the misfortune of trying to squeeze half a lime that’s been sitting in your refrigerator for days, turning rock hard, can attest to this. It’s not exactly fun. The cellular structure of the fruit firms up, things turn mealy, and that juice beds in. 

Warming your fruit up slightly, though, can both make it softer and easier to maneuver, and release more juice in a single squeeze. Just pop them in your microwave for 15 to 20 seconds before slicing and juicing; it makes a big difference.

You’re Cutting It Wrong

Okay, so first things first: If you’re cutting citrus fruit vertically (ie., straight down the stem), cease immediately. Slicing citrus fruit vertically instead of horizontally works with its natural structure, instead of against it – and with respect to the poor little piece of fruit in front of you, you do want to cause it some damage to release as much lemon juice as possible. 

So, slice horizontally, and roll it on the counter with your palm before doing so, to loosen things up. If you’re not using a juicer, though, a good tip is to slice your lemons, limes, or oranges into “cheeks” instead of halves. Shear off four quarters, missing the core of the fruit, and squeeze by hand to release a loooot of juice. 

You’re Using The Wrong Juicer…

It wasn’t until I worked in a bar when I was in my early 20s that I realized that reamers and electric juicers are far from the most efficient pieces of equipment for extracting liquid from citrus fruits. Yes, they work, but they’re effortful, often clunky, and require a big ol’ clean-up operation afterward (in the case of electric juicers, at least). 

By far the better choice is a handheld juicer or citrus squeezer. You know, the ones with the handle and the clamshell top? These will do all the pressing for you, forcing as much juice out as possible. You don’t end up with any seeds in your food, either. Give your citrus a little squeeze by hand once you’ve used it, though, as there are sometimes a couple of drops leftover.

…Or Putting It In The Wrong Way Round

With a handheld juicer, it feels intuitive to place your fruit in it with the exposed, flat section facing the curved edge. After all, that’s how electric juicers work. The key here, though, is to place the curved edges against each other and put your fruit flat in the juicer, with the sliced edge facing the holes. When you squeeze, the juice will be propelled through those holes in one glorious spurt.