Ah, the constant dilemma of quick-juicing a lemon without releasing all those pits into your recipe. TV chefs squeeze lemon halves over their hands to catch the seeds, but who wants sticky fingers? And what if you have a paper cut? Ouch! Here’s an easy way to get the juice without the pits: Wrap a wet piece of cheesecloth around the cut side of a lemon and squeeze—the cheesecloth will collect the seeds as the juice strains through. Or, if you don’t have cheesecloth, use sterile gauze or any other mesh bandage (unmedicated, of course) that’s large enough to cover the circumference of the lemon. It will also catch any unwanted pulp that your hand could miss.
To get lots of juice, zap your lemon in the microwave for about 20 seconds before you squeeze…30 seconds at most, or it can explode. The microwave also softens the lemon skin for an easier squeeze.
For more creative cooking tips…
- 6 Mistakes Even Good Cooks Make
- Don’t Cook The Health Out of Your Food
- Make Zatar an Addition to Your Kitchen
