This 10-Second Hack Makes Juicing Citrus Easier

If you’re a citrus lover, there’s a good chance you’re a pro at making lemonade or adding some delicious lime to your evening meals for a tangy kick. But juicing citrus can get difficult and tedious. Luckily, there’s a 10-second juicing trick for it.

Turns out, taking just 10-20 seconds to microwave your citrus can make it much easier to juice.

“Microwaving softens the fibrous membranes in the citrus, making it easier to release the liquid from them,” said Kelly Jones, a board-certified specialist in sports dietetics.

Just pop an uncut, unpeeled lemon in the microwave for 10-20 seconds, cut it in half, and then juice as normal. You should notice that you get markedly more juice than usual.

The amount of time the lemon will need to be microwaved depends on how you store it. For example, if you keep your citrus on your countertop at room temperature, try 10 seconds first. However, if you store them in the fridge, you might need up to 20 seconds to get them warm enough, but not too hot.

Of course, when you microwave lemons for more juice, remember that they could be warm when you go to get all that juice out. Exercise caution when getting your citrus out of the microwave. While yes, you definitely need them to be warm, you also want to make sure that in your question to try this 10-second juice trick you don’t inadvertently burn yourself.

This isn’t the only juicing hack that’s gone viral lately, though.

TikTok content creator, Shara, recently shared a juice trick, showing her cutting off the skin at the round end of a halved lemon. Once the top was gone, she places the lemon (round, newly cut side down) in a citrus juicer and squeezed.

When she was done, the lemon was nearly hollowed out and there was substantial juice. While microwaving your lemon works, if you’re not in the mood for lukewarm lemon juice this second hack might be more your speed.

While yes, microwaving a lemon can help you get more juice, there’s a completely different reason to stick your citrus in the microwave—and it’s got nothing to do with juicing. Instead, it can help you clean your appliance.

All you need to do is place a lemon that’s been cut in half in a microwave-safe bowl and add a cup of water. Microwave for three minutes, and then, not opening the door, let it sit for five minutes. The acid in the lemon and the steam generated by the microwave’s heat should dislodge any stuck on grime, allowing you to wipe it right off.

If you’ve been struggling to get enough lemon juice for your creamy summer lemonade, one of these hacks is sure to help, and if you need a natural, easy way to clean your microwave, you’re good to go there, too.

[Via Well + Good]