How to Juice a Lemon

Here's how to quickly juice a lemon without a juicer or any special gadgets.  Fresh lemon juice adds great lemon flavor to many beverages and dishes. 

Store-bought lemon juice from concentrate may work as a substitute in a pinch, but fresh lemon juice is always preferred.  You just don't get the same fresh lemon flavor otherwise.

You'll only need:

• Lemon
• Cutting board
• Sharp knife
• Fork
• Bowl
• Strainer

To juice the lemon:

1. While firmly pressing down with one hand, roll the lemon back and forth a few times on the cutting board. This helps break up the fibers inside the lemon and makes releasing the juice easier.
2. Cut the lemon in half with the knife.
3. Holding one of the lemon halves in one hand over the bowl, take the fork with the other hand and insert into the pulp, twisting and pushing, releasing as much juice as you can into the bowl. Squeeze the lemon half around the fork as you twist. Be careful not to push the fork too far into the lemon, or else it will poke through the lemon rind into your other hand! Some seeds and pulp may fall into the bowl. That's OK. You can strain it later.
4. Repeat with the other lemon half.
5. Strain, and add the fresh lemon juice to your recipe or lemonade.

Now you can enjoy freshly squeezed lemon juice, the way nature intended!

These instructions should also work for limes, but you might need a smaller fork.