How to make lemon juice

Video: How to Make Homemade Lemonade Using Real Lemons

Content

Method 2 of 3: Getting Long-Lasting Lemon Syrup
Method 3 of 3: Selecting and Storing Lemons
Tips
Warnings
What do you need
Squeezing the juice out of lemons
Getting Long-Lasting Lemon Syrup
Selecting and storing lemons

1 Slice the lemons in half lengthwise with a sharp knife. Most people cut lemons across. Instead, slice each lemon vertically along the center. The lemon halves are easier to squeeze and you will have a little more juice. To make enough juice, try taking 6 lemons and slicing them up first.

Each lemon will make ¼ – ⅓ cups (60–80 milliliters) of juice. Use more lemons if you want more juice.

2 Squeeze the juice into a bowl if you're doing it by hand. Place the bowl on the table and squeeze the juice from each half of the lemon into it in turn. Most of the juice will be squeezed out after you lightly squeeze the lemon. When the juice stops flowing from the lemon half, squeeze it harder to squeeze out a few more drops. Finally, pierce the lemon flesh with a fork and twist to extract the remaining juice.

To filter out the seeds, hold a sieve over the bowl as you squeeze out the juice. You can also remove any seeds and pulp from the bowl after you have squeezed out the juice.

3 You can also crush lemons in a citrus press. Place the lemon half, pulp side down, and press the handles together to squeeze out the juice. If you have a round citrus juicer, slide the cut end of a lemon over the plastic tip in the center. Press down on the lemon and twist it in different directions.

A citrus press is the simplest type of juicer. The spinning press can squeeze out the core of the lemon, so strain the juice through a sieve if you don't want any pieces of pulp left in it.

4 Use an electric juicer if you don't mind juicing with pulp. Electric juicers are like hand presses with a sharp point. Place the sliced end of a lemon on the spike in the center and turn on the juicer. The rotating tip will squeeze the maximum amount of juice out of the lemon. The only drawback is that it also chops up the core, which also ends up in the juice.

If you want to remove pieces of pulp, strain the juice through a sieve.
Some blenders and stand mixers are equipped with juicing attachments. Install the attachment for quick lemon juice!

5 If the juice is too acidic, add water or sugar to it. Once you've squeezed out the juice, it's ready to drink, especially if you've used large, juicy, and not very sour lemons. Try to see if squeezed juice is right for you. If it feels too sour, add about 1 teaspoon (4 grams) of sugar for each lemon you use. You can also dilute the juice with up to 1 cup (240 milliliters) of water for each lemon squeezed.

After adding sugar and water, lemon juice will be much easier to drink or use for cooking, especially if it is too harsh and sour. Keep in mind that the juiciest varieties, such as Meyer's lemon, already have a characteristic sweet taste that can be spoiled if you are going to add juice to food.
In order not to change the taste of the juice too much, add sugar and water in small portions and taste the juice each time.

6 Store the juice in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Pour the juice into a tight-fitting container and mark the current date on it. If you don't plan on using the juice any time soon, freeze it or it will start to taste bitter. Frozen lemon juice retains its properties for up to 4 months.

Lemon juice does not spoil. The juice can be drunk even after it has been in the refrigerator for three days, but its taste will deteriorate.In addition, lemon juice can be stored indefinitely in the freezer, but its quality deteriorates over time.
To thaw frozen lemon juice, keep it at room temperature for about an hour. You can also reheat the juice in the microwave on a low temperature.

Method 2 of 3: Getting Long-Lasting Lemon Syrup

1 Squeeze 6 lemons into a glass or small bowl. Freeze, then microwave and crush the lemons to make more juice. Slice the lemons in half lengthwise and squeeze out as much juice as possible. To squeeze more juice out of the lemons, use a fork or citrus juicer. This will end up with about 1¾ cup (410 milliliters) of fresh juice.
- If you need more juice, cut up additional lemons. Each lemon will yield ¼ – ⅓ cups (60–80 milliliters) of juice.
2 Rub fresh lemon peel in a saucepan. You will need about 1 tablespoon (6 grams) of lemon zest. To obtain the zest, rub the rind of one of the lemon halves on a fine grater or other suitable tool. Do not mix the zest with the juice just yet. Rub it into a separate saucepan.
- The zest is a lemon peel. Be careful not to get into the zest of the white core that is under the skin. It is bitter and can negatively affect the taste of the juice.
- You can do without the zest. Although the zest will add a richer lemon flavor to the juice, you do not need to add it if you like.
3 Mix lemon zest with water and sugar. Pour about 1 cup (240 milliliters) of water into a saucepan with lemon zest. Then add 2 cups (400 grams) of sugar. If you like sweeter lemon juice, add another ¼ cup (50 grams) of sugar.
4 Preheat a saucepan over medium heat until the water starts boil slowly. Turn on the stove and heat up the water. When the water reaches about 85 ° C, it will slowly begin to boil. This will cause the water to continuously emit steam and gas bubbles.
- If you do not want to squeeze the juice in advance, you can use the time until the water boils. However, do not forget to keep an eye on the pan so that the boiling water does not splash out!
5 Heat and stir the water for 4 minutes, until all the sugar is dissolved. Stir the water lightly with a spoon or spatula. Make sure the sugar is dissolved in the water. When there is no undissolved sugar in it, remove the pan from the stove and set it aside.
- Remember to turn off the stove after removing the pot from the heat.
- The result is a lemon-flavored syrup that can be added to drinks for flavor or frozen to make lemonade.
6 Pour lemon juice into a saucepan. Add lemon juice and stir the contents of the saucepan. Stir the liquid well and taste it when it cools. The lemon syrup is ready! If you want to make lemonade, add 4 cups (950 ml) lukewarm water.
- If you plan on using the syrup later, store it in a sterilized glass jar.
7 Place the juice in the refrigerator or freezer to cool. If you are not going to use the juice immediately, pour it into a tightly sealable container and mark the current date on it. It can be kept in the refrigerator for up to three days before it starts to lose its flavor. You can also store your juice in the freezer for up to 4 months.
- This juice is practically homemade syrup lemonade. It is better to drink it rather than use it for cooking.
8 Drink or use the juice after it has cooled down. After you add the water, you can enjoy a refreshing drink for about 30 minutes. To keep the lemon syrup fresh, try to use it as soon as possible. For example, you can pour syrup over cakes, add it to fried fish, or mix it with smoothies and other drinks.
- Lemon juice is often used to marinate fish and meat. The acid it contains helps the food absorb the flavor better.

Method 3 of 3: Selecting and Storing Lemons

1 Choose heavy lemons for more juice. For example, Meyer's lemon gives a lot of juice, as well as varieties such as "fino", "mesero" or "primofiori". Meyer's lemon tastes sweet, so it's best to choose a different variety if you want sour juice. All of these varieties are smaller than the large lemons usually sold in stores, but they are rather weighty for their size. Rate the lemons by weight and set aside the bulkiest ones for juice.
- Eureka and Lisbon are usually found in shops all year round. They are larger and lighter in color than Meyer's lemon and are very sour. If you want the lemon juice to be a little sweeter, add sugar and water to it.
2 Choose lemons that are soft but not crumbly. Take a lemon and squeeze it lightly with your fingers. Soft lemons contain a lot of juice and can be used immediately. In addition, lemons should have a smooth, rich yellow skin.
- If the lemon is loose, it has already gone bad and should not be bought. Also, make sure the lemons are not hard or shriveled.
- Light-skinned or green-skinned lemons tend to be sour. You can use them if you like, but ripe lemons are usually better for juice.
3 Freeze the lemons until you are ready to juice them. Place the lemons in a sealable plastic bag. Squeeze out as much excess air as possible from the bag before closing it. Lemons are much easier to squeeze out of juice after they sit in the freezer for a while. It's also a good way to preserve juicy lemons for use as needed throughout the year.
- Lemons do not spoil in the freezer, but they dry out over time. For lemons to retain all their properties, use them within three months.
4 Defrost lemons in the microwave for about 30 seconds. When you're ready to use the frozen lemons, remove them from the bag and place them in the microwave. Heat them on low power to room temperature. Make sure the lemons are soft to the touch before juicing them.
- You can also put the lemons in a bowl of warm water and wait until they feel soft to the touch.
5 Press down and roll the lemons on a cutting board for more juice. Place the lemons on a flat surface and press down firmly. Move the lemons as if rolling a rolling pin or kneading dough. Roll each lemon for 1-2 minutes, until very soft and pliable. This will break down the partitions inside the lemon and release the juice.
- To prevent the lemon juice from spilling onto the cutting board, cover it with a paper towel, or roll the lemons on the made table.
- If you don't want to roll the lemons, you can pierce them with a sharp knife or peel them several times. However, in this case, you will get a lot more dirty than rolling lemons.
- If you have a citrus juicer, you can skip the lemons. The juicers are efficient enough to squeeze out all the juice without any extra steps!

Tips

Regardless of how you're going to use lemon juice, use just the right amount of juice or add sugar to taste. For example, add more juice for sourness or more sugar for a sweet taste.
If you want to make a flavorful lemonade, try adding different ingredients to the juice. For example, add some fresh berries or herbs like mint.
Other citrus fruits, including lime, can be squeezed in a similar manner.
Many recipes can use fresh lime juice instead of lemon juice. If you don't want the lemon flavor, you can also use vinegar or wine.

Warnings

Handle the knife with care and work on a stable surface to avoid cutting yourself. If lemon juice gets on your damaged skin, it will cause severe burning, so wear rubber gloves if you have fresh wounds on your hands.