Recently, it went viral on the internet, on social networks like TikTok, Instagram and Youtube, a video with a tutorial on how to squeeze lemons that surprised people around the world. This is because a simple and common task like making lemonade or putting lemon on food is done “wrongly” by most people. To understand more about the controversy and learn easier ways to squeeze lemons, read on!
Squeezing a lemon is very easy, isn’t it? Even more so if you have the help of a juicer. The second lemon also seems easy to extract the juice. By the third lemon in your lemonade or recipe, your hands start to get tired and you start to wonder if there isn’t a simpler way to do all of this.
Surprisingly, there is! In reality, most people don’t know how to squeeze lemons in the easiest and most efficient way. With this, the task is more laborious and you still end up not being able to fully enjoy the lemon, because much of the juice cannot be extracted.
In this article, we’ve separated unmissable tips and tricks for you to learn how to make lemonade quickly and without getting too tired! Read on and stay on top of everything you never knew about squeezing lemons.
How to Squeeze Lemons: The Right Way to Use a Manual Lemon Squeezer
The lemon squeezer is an item that many people have at home and use in their daily lives. The utensil is practical and helps a lot when making lemonade, caipirinha or recipes that use lemon among their ingredients.
Although very common in most Brazilian homes, almost everyone uses the lemon squeezer the wrong way! The proof is that if you needed to squeeze a lemon right now, we bet you would cut the fruit in half and fit the lemon in the juicer with the rind facing up, so that the domed part of the utensil squeezes the rind, right?
As correct as it may seem, this way of using the manual lemon squeezer is inefficient! When you fit the lemon in this way in the juicer, you need a lot more force to extract the juice.
The right way to squeeze lemons using the lemon squeezer and thus enjoy all the juice without wasting a lot of energy, is as follows:
1. Soften the lemon
Something that can help a lot when squeezing lemons is to soften them a little before cutting. To break down the fruit’s fibers and thus help when extracting the juice, simply roll the peeled lemons on a counter or table.
Apply pressure with your hands in order to soften the lemon a lot against the table surface and make the work easier when squeezing.
2. Cut the lemon
Cut the lemons in half as you normally do, and then the secret is to cut one of the skin tips on each side. To avoid wasting the fruit, cut only a small piece, just to make it easier to fit in the juicer.
3. Fit the lemon correctly into the hand juicer
Now comes the most surprising and important part, because that’s where everyone tends to go wrong. You must put the part where you cut the tip down into the juicer! That is, most of the lemon should be in contact with the conical and conical shape of the utensil.
Contrary to what everyone does, leaving the juicer facing the fruit pulp makes it much easier to remove the juice! The cut tip will serve as a “sieve” for the juice and allow the entire liquid content of the lemon to escape.
4. Squeeze the juice
Now, just close the juicer and deposit the juice in a container. At the end of the process, in addition to making much less effort to squeeze the lemons, you will enjoy all the juice and avoid any kind of waste.
Amazing, isn’t it?
Next, you’ll check out even more tips on how to squeeze lemons. Follow the reading and stay inside.
how to squeeze lemons: trick to squeeze lemon with a toothpick
This trick of how to squeeze lemon with a toothpick was the reason for the beginning of all this discussion on the internet about the right and easiest way to make a good lemonade or caipirinha. On the TikTok social network, a hashtag#lemonhack with thousands of videos of people testing the tip.
If you also want to learn how to squeeze lemons in less than 30 seconds using just one toothpick, check out the step-by-step lemon squeeze trick below:
1. Soften the lemon
As we explained earlier, rolling lemons in the skin on a surface such as a table or counter can go a long way in releasing the fibers and extracting juice from the fruit.
Softening the lemons, applying a lot of pressure with your hands, is essential for the toothpick trick to be effective. So don’t skip this step!
2. Pierce the tip of the lemon with a toothpick
Use a barbecue stick, skewer, thick needle or chopstick (Japanese food stick) to make a hole in the tip of the lemon contrary to that of the stalk. The hole must be deep, as it will serve as an exit point for the fruit juice.
3. Remove the toothpick and squeeze the lemon
Now, just remove the toothpick from the fruit and squeeze the lemon with your hands. The juice will come out completely through the hole you made with the toothpick! Simple, isn’t it?
The advantages of this method are many! First of all, he doesn’t get his hands dirty and doesn’t even need knives and juicers. Also, this trick allows you to keep the lemon in the fridge without it drying out, if you don’t use all the juice at once. This conservation happens because the hole you made in the lemon is very small and, therefore, the fruit will not dehydrate if it is returned to the refrigerator.
Another positive point of this technique is that it is also effective when squeezing orange!
how to squeeze lemons: use a fork or spoon
The last tip you need to know to make your lemonade easier to prepare is how to squeeze lemon with a fork or spoon. These everyday cutlery are also excellent tools for extracting lemon juice. This tip is great for squeezing small amounts of lemon, especially for use in recipes such as salads and meat seasoning.
Check it step by step:
1. Soften the lemon
Roll the lemon on a firm surface as explained above.
2. Cut the lemon
Then cut the fruit in half as usual.
3. Scrape the fruit pulp
Now, use your fork or spoon to scrape the pulp from the fruit while squeezing it with your hands. Place the cutlery in the lemon and make a circular motion in order to loosen the fibers and remove all the juice. Use a tall container to prevent the juice from splashing on your face and be careful about exposure to the sun!
Now you know three efficient and very practical ways to squeeze lemons. Feel like having a cold lemonade? Write your favorite trick in the comments!
