Yep, You Can Juice a Lemon Without Cutting It—Here's How
This 30-second hack is a game changer.
ByErin Alexander
Published On
As much as I love the tart, punchy kick that a squeeze of lemon juice brings to any dish—from this creamy lemon pasta to this feel-good ginger and turmeric tea—I loathe the act itself.
Squeezing a lemon requires me to either A) pull out the bulky citrus squeezer that's buried at the bottom of my kitchen gadgets drawer, or B) do it by hand, which always leaves my fingers covered in sticky juice and more than a few acrid seeds sprinkled into whatever I'm making.
So I screamed with joy at the top of my lungs was quietly thankful when I stumbled across this random Facebook video of a lemon-squeezing hack that would forever change my life.
Not only does this ingenious trick not require a knife, but it also saves you from wasting a whole lemon every time you want a splash of juice. (Lemons start to dry out the second you slice them in half.) All you have to do is poke a hole. Seriously, it's that easy.
On top of everything, this hack takes just 30 seconds—or less. Not only that, I'd venture to guess it'll work on just about any type of ripe citrus. Here's how to do it:
- Roll your lemon (or orange or grapefruit, whatever it may be) on a cutting board or the counter to loosen up the membranes.
- Using a skewer, (clean) needle, chopsticks, toothpick, or pin (get creative!), poke a hole in the non-stem end of the lemon.
- Squeeze out the juice to your heart's content.
- Store the lemon in a zip-top bag in the refrigerator until you want to use it again.
No more dried-out refrigerator lemons!
Armed with this hack, you can now brighten up your favorite salads, pastas, teas, desserts, and more (there are so many ways to use a lemon) with just the prick of a pin—and without wasting an entire lemon.
My Favorite Lemony Dishes
What's your favorite lemony recipe? Share it with us in the comments below!