This is only necessary if the lemon was in the refrigerator.
However, don’t press so hard that you split the lemon open and spray yourself with lemon juice!
To further increase the amount of extracted juice, use a fork to loosen up the interior membranes of the lemon before you squeeze each half.
By cutting the lemon into thirds instead of halves, you’ll expose more of the surface area of the membranes that contain the juice. You can compare it to pouring water through a funnel with a wide-mouth spout instead of a narrow spout.
Squeeze the squared-off center section to get most of the juice, then squeeze each of the 4 cut-off pieces to extract whatever juice they contain. There’s no way to avoid getting lemon juice on your hand when you squeeze the center section, so consider wearing gloves if that’s a concern for you.
You only need to remove about 0. 5–1 in (1. 3–2. 5 cm) from both the top and tail ends. This process will end up creating 8 wedges. If you need 16 smaller wedges, cut the lemon in half while it’s on its side, after you remove the “top” and “tail. ” Then proceed with each lemon half as described below, as if they are whole lemons.
Steady the upright lemon with your free hand while cutting it, but be sure to keep it clear of the knife.
The pith will likely be around 0. 25–0. 5 in (0. 64–1. 27 cm) thick at the tip of each quarter.
Add lemon wedges to cold drinks like ice water or iced tea, or use them as a garnish for seafood or other dishes. You can store cut lemon wedges in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
You can use the remainder of the lemon for juicing or to create wedges. If you need to make several garnishes, cut off either the top or bottom of the lemon and then cut a series of 0. 25 in (0. 64 cm) rounds as you work your way to the other end of the lemon.
If you need help picturing this, imagine cutting a pizza in half with a pizza cutter, but stopping just before you cut through the crust on one side.
When you’re finished, you’ll have a ring that’s yellow on the outside (the peel) and white on the inside (the rind), with a single cut going through it at the 6 o’clock position.
This twisting motion will create a series of spirals in the lemon ring. The spirals will hold their shape once you let go of the ends. If you want more spirals, twist the ends around in opposite directions another time. Hook one of the curls onto the rim of your glass to use this twist as a garnish. You can follow the same process to make lime twist garnishes.
