The Straightforward Trick For Choosing The Juiciest Lemon

Lemons can be a tricky ingredient to work with. While they are fantastic for dishes and beverages both sweet and savory, like lemon pepper chicken wings or blueberry and lemon tapioca pudding, these recipes require a significant amount of lemon juice — something that some lemons don't have much of. If you have ever experienced the frustration of cutting open a lemon to discover that it is quite dry, we have a tip for you: Purchase heavy lemons.

When we say that the trick is to buy heavy lemons, we don't mean to buy large ones; rather, you want to pick out lemons that are dense. Pick lemons that feel unusually weighty for their size and that have a slight give when you squeeze them. These lemons are so much heavier than others with the same dimensions because they contain more juice, which is exactly what you need. If you are lucky enough to be at a grocery store that sells the fruit by item rather than by weight, you will also benefit from the perk of getting more bang for your buck. Additionally, ensure the lemons you get are high quality in all of the other important ways by looking for ones that have evenly colored, smooth skin and a strong lemon aroma.

Once you have your hands on the perfect lemons, it is equally important to ensure that you employ every other trick in the book to ensure that you get every ounce of juice available. When you bring them home, store them properly to prevent them from losing their moisture. The best way to keep lemons fresh if you plan on leaving them for more than a few days is to keep them in the refrigerator. This will prevent them from drying out or beginning to spoil unexpectedly.

Next, when it comes time to actually use your lemons, you should try out a variety of hacks to coax the maximum amount of juice out of the fruit. How much juice you get from a single lemon can vary based on the size, but you should expect at least two to three tablespoons for a medium-sized one. Start by microwaving your citrus for around thirty seconds in order to break down the membranes that hold the juice in place, allowing the juice to flow more freely. Then, cut the lemon in half lengthwise rather than horizontally in order for your squeeze to be as effective as possible. If you are not a fan of manually juicing lemons, feel free to use whatever appliances are available to you.