This Is How I Squeeze Lemon Juice Without a Special Juicer
I never cease to be amazed when I come across yet another way to squeeze juice out of a lemon. Don’t get me wrong, this is no disrespect to many citrus lovers. Like peeling a hard-boiled egg, doing it well is a widespread problem. If you don’t want to keep an electric juicer or a clunky gadget just so you can make your favorite muffin recipe every now and then, I can help you. Here’s how I squeeze lemon juice without a special juicer.
How to get more juice from a lemon
The most effective juicing methods involve tearing apart the tiny pockets of juice that make up the fruity pulp of the lemon. Find the best and fastest way to do this and you will get all the information you need. This is why electric and elbow-heavy juicers can be useful for people who need to drink orange juice every day—they crush, press, and open up most of those little pockets. If you’re starting with a small, mostly pith or dry lemon that has seen better days, it may not have much to offer.
This is how I squeeze lemon juice
People like me who drink tea once a month or occasionally bake lemon poppy seed cakes don’t really need a bulky contraption to squeeze juice out of lemons. However, it doesn’t hurt to have some sort of tool to pop those hard-to-get juice bubbles. Before I start cooking anything, I roll it out onto the counter with a fair amount of pressure. Again, the goal is to rupture the pockets of juice by crushing them on the countertop. Some people microwave the lemon to loosen the texture, while others bake the lemon for the same reason. They require an extra step so I just stick to the countertop. Then I do one of these two things, depending on where I am.
When I’m home
For a relatively small apartment in Brooklyn, I manage to squeeze in quite a few kitchen tools and gadgets, but when it comes to citrus, I’m essentially using a caveman’s tool. I use a wooden reamer , which is much less intimidating than it looks. The reamer is a lightweight wooden handle with a ribbed, pointed top. I’ve had this one since culinary school and it’s probably the best $8 you can spend. It is quick to use and easy to clean.
To use it, cut the pre-rolled lemon widthwise. Insert the reamer into the cut side and squeeze the fruit while turning the reamer. The shape of the pointed end will easily release all the existing juice.
When I travel
I bet I’m squeezing lemons while traveling the world. I’m actually talking more about when I go to New Jersey to stay with family (it’s not as glamorous as international travel). During winter break, I stay at my mom’s house for longer periods of time, and that’s when I make the most cheesecakes or other lemon desserts. My mother’s kitchen is completely free of gadgets, which I love and hate.
There’s no fancy juicer, not even a wooden reamer, so when I need at least a quarter glass of lemon juice, I use a fork. It is as effective as a wooden reamer. I cut the lemon in half widthwise and stick a fork into the cut side. Squeeze the lemon onto the bowl or cup and the tines of the fork will help pop the juice capsules. Remove the fork and twist it in the other direction to squeeze out some more juice. A small knife will also work for this, but be careful. Forks tend to stay in the lemon, knives tend to pierce the peel.
Another take-it-or-leave-it method of juicing without using a juicer.
I love it when my friends send me TikToks or videos of cooking hacks. Some of them are great. Some are very dubious. I recently learned about the method of “poking a hole in a lemon” and squeezing it. In the video, juice flows like a fountain. I don’t know if I’m the only person in the world doing this wrong, but I can’t get it to work. But maybe you can, and you’ll love it forever.
Supposedly (after you’ve rolled it around the table) you take a skewer or toothpick and poke it right into the flowering end of the fruit. Usually it is this end that is pointed, and not the side where the stem was. Then you squeeze it and the juice comes out. Good luck.