Tip from Gourmet: Slice Citrus Lengthwise, Get More Juice

We know this is the second Gourmet video in as many weeks that we're promoting, but this one really surprised us. You can get three times as much juice from a lemon just by slicing it lengthwise instead of crosswise? Wow. Get a link to the video, below...

According to food editor Ian Knauer, who demonstrates the technique in the video, this is how they juice citrus in Mexico. You can watch Knauer juice two lemons, sliced different ways, and then measure the juice. The lemon sliced crosswise — the way most people naturally cut it — yields about two tablespoons of juice. The one sliced lengthwise yields 1/3 cup.

We assume the greater surface area on the lengthwise lemon allows more pulp to be juiced, but we're also thinking that our favorite wooden reamer isn't designed to fit a lengthwise-cut lemon half. Dilemma.

Do you juice your lemons this way? What tools do you use — a stand juicer, like the one in the video, or something else?

Watch the video here:

How to Get the Most Juice from Lemons and Limes, from Gourmet

(Image: Flickr member Ms. Tea, licensed for use under Creative Commons)

Comments (7)

I recently pulled out an older Jean-George book, and in the back, he suggests slicing limes in thirds for juicing (not 3 slices, but kind of like a triangle leaving the fibrous middle). He says the dense pulp in the middle prevents more juice from coming out. I image the same would be true of lemons.

But I have one of those wooden reamers too, so I'm curious to know if anyone knows if the tools work when citrus is cut different ways.

posted by ottan on September 8th 2008 at 10:23am
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I'm not sure that this isn't biased. Using an already wet reamer/measuring cup etc is going to add some liquid to the 2nd test...still I'm trying it at home.---I hardly ever use a normal citrus juicer though I just use a fork, it doesn't crush the pulp down the way a normal reamer does.

posted by sally599 on September 8th 2008 at 10:43am
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I don't know. I can see how you'd get more juice out of a lemon by slicing it differently if you're squeezing by hand. When I just need a bit of lemon juice, I'll slice it similar to ottan's method, leaving the core behind. I definitely get more juice out of a side segment than I would from a traditional quarter.

However, if you're already using a citrus reamer, why would it make a difference how you slice the lemon? The reamer is designed to squeeze juice from the pulp anyway, regardless of the direction of the slice. It doesn't make sense. Plus, how do you know the two lemons they used in the "test" were similar? Maybe one was larger. Maybe one was just drier and not as juicy.

posted by leanneabe on September 8th 2008 at 11:34am
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This could work with my favorite tool for squeezing citrus which looks something like this: http://www.amazon.com/Norpro-Stainless-Steel-Citrus-Juice-Press/dp/B0002IBOAK/ref=tag_dpp_lp_edpp_ttl_ex
It really is a no mess way of squeezing citrus since the seeds can't filter through.

posted by kumquat on September 8th 2008 at 2:10pm
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Spiffy! I'll try it tonight!

posted by VeryDelishVeg on September 8th 2008 at 2:50pm
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I assume this would work for limes as well?

posted by HallieB on September 8th 2008 at 3:42pm
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Now that I have a citrus reamer I'll never go back to hand squeezing unless I don't have a reamer available. I get so much more juice using the reamer than I ever did by hand.

posted by Plaid Ninja on September 9th 2008 at 4:11am
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