If you're like me when you purchase most fruit you bring it home and put it in the refrigerator. But then when you need to use the fruit juice in a recipe it's next to impossible to get any juice out of it.
What to do?
To get the greatest yield of juice from your lemon, lime or orange, squeeze it when it's at room temperature. If left in the refrigerator, place it in the microwave for about 15 seconds before squeezing. This way yields a greater amount of juice versus trying to juice it when it's cold. Don't over microwave and boil the juice, then of course it won't be good at all.
It's also a good idea to roll the fruit on the countertop pressing firmly between the palm of your hand and the countertop before squeezing. This will help to release the juice.
What do you do if you only need a small amount of juice and don't want to waste the fruit?
Use a toothpick to puncture the skin and squeeze out the amount that's needed. Then plug the hole back up with that same toothpick, place in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator.
Fresh squeezed juice can be stored in the refrigerator for about one week. If you need to store it longer try placing the juice in ice cube trays and freezing it for later. Then only pop out the amount you need for next time.
Wondering how many lemons, limes or oranges that you'll need for a recipe?
1 medium Lemon =
approximately 2-3 tablespoons of lemon juice
approximately 1 tablespoon of lemon zest or peel
1 medium lime =
approximately 2 tablespoons of lime juice
approximately 1 teaspoon of lime zest or peel
1 medium orange =
approximately 1/3 - 1/2 cup orange juice
approximately 2 tablespoons of orange zest or peel
This is one of my favorite tools for juicing.
