Whether you’re on a diet or cooking a scrumptious meal for your family and friends, you’re going to have to ensure that you have the exact measurements of your ingredients to avoid destroying their taste and flavor. With that being said, it can get quite difficult to estimate the amount of juice in certain fruits, such as lemons! You may have probably wondered: How much juice is in one lemon?
Instead of guesstimating, read on as I show you the amount of juice a lemon yields!
Health Benefits of Lemon Juice
Besides knowing how much juice there is in a lemon, let’s first talk about the wonderful benefits a lemon has to offer!
What’s great about adding a bit of lemon juice or zest to your recipes isn’t just about the flavor. You’ll be adding a ton of nutrients to your dish as well, such as vitamins C, A, B6, and E, as well as folate, niacin, riboflavin, and many more! It’s known as an antioxidant and can help fight various diseases such as diabetes, constipation, blood pressure, and even cancer.
Furthermore, it can help with hydration, which will improve your skin quality. Plus, having a bit of lemon juice a day can help with your digestion and metabolism, which aids in weight loss!
What’s great is that you can use lemons with just about any food or drink, from topping it off on salads down to making juices or adding some zest to your desserts!
How Much Juice Is In One Lemon?
Many recipes call for the zest or juice of one lemon. But how much juice is in one lemon and how much zest does it contain anyway?
To learn about the amount of juice in one lemon, let’s use the average lemon, which weighs about 3.6 ounces. Take note that there are about four to five lemons in one pound. Through testing these medium-sized lemons, we find out that there are about two tablespoons of lemon juice in one lemon. Furthermore, a lemon would also have one tablespoon of lemon zest.
But take note that this may depend on the size as well. Bigger lemons can yield three tablespoons of juice. Smaller ones can give you one or half a tablespoon. But on average, expect one whole lemon to yield two to three tablespoons.
So if ever a recipe asks for the juice of one lemon, you can use two tablespoons of bottled juice instead. If it requires just one tablespoon, you can use half of a lemon. I recommend that you use fresh lemon juice than its bottled form as they are more complex and offer more flavor.
The Amount Of Juice In Other Fruits
How about other citrus fruits, such as limes or oranges? Great question!
Expect one lime to give you one or two tablespoons of juice, while a whole orange can give you 1/3 cup of juice. That will make it easier to measure if you are unable to use fresh fruits but need the juice of one. This is needed because there are some recipes that do not add the exact measurements for fruits when relaying the ingredients, and we don’t want you to add too much or too little juice, which will greatly affect its flavor!
Choosing and Preserving Lemons
When choosing lemons, I recommend that you choose a lemon that is a bit heavy for its size with a good fragrance. It should have bright yellow skin without any wrinkles. Take note that tin-skinned lemons have more juice and that those with thicker skins will have more zest. Furthermore, check to make sure that the lemon you choose isn’t too soft and has no mold.
To keep your lemons from spoiling, it’s best to place them in a zipper bag and put them in the fridge. This is a great way to keep your lemons juicy and fresh, especially if you purchase them in bulk.
While you can place lemons on your counter at room temperature, placing them in the fridge in a zippered bag will keep them fresher for longer. It’s better to do this before they dry out.
Lemons can last for about one week when placed at room temperature but longer than that, they will begin to lose flavor and zest. In the fridge, it lasts for about three to four weeks. You CAN place it in the freezer, which will have it last for three to four months as long as it’s kept constantly frozen.
How To Properly Juice Lemons
You can juice lemons and other fruits not only by hand but also by using a hand juicer to make it much easier. For those who need the zest of a lemon, then using a zester or a Microplane will work best. While it is quite an investment, having a juicer will make it easier and make the measurements more accurate, compared to using your hand to squeeze it out (and take a lot of time!).
If you’re still wondering if the measurements are accurate, you can also try it out yourself and experiment with how much juice your usual lemons yield from the local supermarket. That way, you won’t worry (since all lemons come in different sizes and some can be quite juicier than others).
Wrapping It Up
Just like having a good sleep schedule and exercise routine, the consistent amount of ingredients you put into a recipe is important for the calorie count and flavor. By using the right size of lemon, you are assured that you get two tablespoons on average.
I hope that this article answers your question: “How much juice is in one lemon?” Now that you’re well-informed about this topic, begin learning more about the number of juices in other types of fruits today!
For those who would like to ask questions or share their experiences when juicing fruits, do share your comments below. I would love to hear what you have to think.