Juicing a lemon can be messy at times, but one woman has claimed you don’t need to slice the fruit in half or get your juicer dirty – as one pin trick does that job in seconds
Lemons are versatile fruits that can be added to a range of recipes. Most commonly, it’s the juice of a lemon you need for your cakes and cocktails rather than the fruit itself, which means cutting the lemon in half, getting your juicer out, and squeezing all the juice from the fruit.
Then, you’re left with a dirty knife, chopping board, and juicer – all for the sake of a little juice from a single lemon. But according to one woman on social media, there’s a much easier way to get fresh lemon juice without all the mess. All you need is something sharp, like a pin, a kebab skewer, or even a cocktail stick.
The woman, named Taylor, shared an Instagram video in which she took a lemon and stabbed a kebab skewer into the pointed end of the fruit. This created a hole, and she was able to squeeze the fruit over a glass of water to add lemon juice to her drink with no mess.
She wrote alongside her video: “I wish more people knew you don’t have to slice a lemon to get the juice. Poke it halfway on the pointy side of the lemon and squeeze! That’s it! That’s the hack. Works for limes too.”
The hack keeps your hands clean, as well as reducing any washing up you might have to do after using your lemon juice. What’s more, you can put the lemon in the fridge as it is, without worrying about the cut side getting dirty or drying out.
The seeds also aren’t a problem when using this trick, as the hole you pierce in the lemon will only be big enough to let juice out. However, anyone trying this trick must be careful to only pierce the lemon halfway through rather than all the way out of the other side.
Commenters on the video were blown away by the hack, with many saying they had no idea you could juice a lemon with so little effort. Several said they would be juicing lemons this way from now on.
One person said: “You might have just changed my life.” Another added: “Stop. This is a game-changer.” A third wrote: “You mean we don’t need to pick all the seeds out when we squeeze in the lemon juice?”
Other commenters also shared other lemon hacks, including one person who said that if you roll a lemon on your countertop before juicing it, you’ll get more juice from the fruit. Applying pressure to the lemon breaks the tiny internal membranes that hold the liquid, which allows the juice to flow more freely when it’s being juiced.
How to juice a lemon
1. Roll the lemon: Before cutting, roll the lemon firmly on the counter with your palm. This helps break down the membranes inside and makes juicing easier.
2. Cut the lemon: Slice the lemon in half crosswise (not from tip to tip, but through the middle).
3. Juice the lemon:
- With a juicer: Place one half on the juicer and press down while twisting to extract the juice.
- With a fork: Hold a lemon half over a bowl, insert a fork into the flesh, and twist the fork while squeezing the lemon with your hand.
- By hand: Simply squeeze the lemon half over a bowl, catching any seeds with your fingers or a strainer.
4. Strain (optional): If you want pulp-free juice, pour it through a fine mesh strainer.
