Warmer weather makes us crave zesty, tropical, citrusy flavors. However, late spring and summer isn’t citrus season down south where most of our citrus originates, so sometimes it’s hard to make the most out of the limes for our mojitos or the lemons in our lemonade. Here are six tips to juice every last drop out of your citrus fruit this season.
Use a reamer or juicer. A sharp hand reamer or juicer is the most efficient and effective way of getting all the juice out of your limes and lemons. If you’ve got a wooden reamer that’s gone dull, you should replace it as it’s the sharp edges that break the membranes and release more juice.
Soften the skin. Before slicing, consider giving your lemons and limes a good and firm rolling on your countertop. That’ll make it much easier to releases the juices when you squeeze the wedges later.
Put them in the microwave. Soften the rind and flesh of your citrus by popping them into the microwave for around 15 seconds. This is especially helpful if you’re working with limes that are straight out of the fridge.
Jab and poke the dry ones. If you come across a dried-out lime, use a fork to poke and prod at the flesh once the lime is cut in half. Then let the reamer or juicer do the rest.
When all else fails, zest. Perhaps the juice simply isn’t there! In this case, use a microplane to add some of that lime flavor to whatever recipe you’re working with. What the zest lacks in acidity it makes up for in flavor—but be careful as zest can be quite bitter.
Stop storing limes on the counter. Yes, a bowl of citrus on your kitchen counter may be quite pretty, but your limes will be juicier for longer if you preserve them in a loose plastic bag and store them in the crisper drawer of your fridge.
Now that you’ve juiced as much as you could, don’t chuck the peels! Check out this article for clever ways to make use of your citrus fruit peels instead of throwing them out.
