How to Juice Citrus Fruit by Hand

You know all those times when the recipe calls for fresh-squeezed lemon juice and you stop and think about it for one second during which your hand starts throbbing in anticipation of the painful squeezing motion your are about to demand of it and then you decide to just grab the bottle of lemon juice even though you know that fresh-squeezed is better? Well, my friend, those days are over. Armed with these simple tricks below, you’ll rediscover the joys of pain-free citrus juicing. Your hands will thank you!

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Citrus fruit
• Microwave
• Small, sharp knife
• Strainer (optional)

1. 

   Place citrus fruit in microwave for 15 seconds. Doing this will make squeezing easier and help you produce much more juice per fruit.

2. Roll citrus fruit on a counter or cutting board for 15 seconds.

3. Cut the citrus fruit in half and using a small, sharp knife, make small cuts into the flesh of the fruit.

4. Hold the citrus fruit over a bowl and squeeze into a strainer or into your cupped hand to catch the seeds. Limes generally don’t have a lot of seeds, so you can probably just squeeze directly into a bowl.

5. 

   If you’re still having trouble, consider getting a cheap juicer to lend a helping hand.

Tips & Warnings

• When cutting into fruit, be careful not to cut through the skin and into your hand.