No juicer? No problem! Learn how to juice a lemon without a juicer by following these simple steps. Grown-ups and kids alike can easily use this method to extract juice from their lemons! Note: This post contains affiliate links.

Are juicers really necessary?

Don't get me wrong...handheld lemon juicers or squeezers can be great tools if you need to make juice quickly. And an electric juicer is great if you also you don't want to get your hands too sticky. That being said, it is super simple and efficient to juice a lemon the old fashioned way - by hand - if you follow a few key steps:

ROLL your WHOLE lemon on a hard surface prior to slicing it, in order to loosen up the inside membranes.
ROTATE your SLICED lemon as you squeeze it to ensure the maximum amount of juice is extracted from each segment.

If kids are helping you out in the kitchen, they may find this traditional approach easier. And no chance of getting their fingers pinched while using a handheld juicing device.

mom and child hands squeezing lemons into pyrex measuring cup

How do you get the MOST juice out of a lemon?

To ensure you get the most juice out of a lemon, you need to make sure your lemon is as soft and malleable as possible. There are a couple different ways to soften a lemon before slicing: (1) ROLL the whole lemon on a hard surface to loosen its membranes [this is our preferred method]; (2) SOAK it in a bowl of warm water for 10-20 minutes; or (3) HEAT a whole lemon in the microwave for 20 seconds. According to Kelli Foster at The Kitchn, microwaving lemons for 20 seconds does give you more juice than lemons microwaved for just 10 seconds or lemons pulled straight from the fridge.

RECIPES WITH LEMON JUICE

If you love the flavor of lemons, check out these recipes that showcase fresh lemon juice:

🍋 Time to Juice! 🍋

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