How Many Lemons Make 1 Cup of Lemon Juice?

Shopping

Lemons can be a delicious addition to many recipes, such as lemon chicken and lemon meringue pie. When shopping for ingredients, you may need to know how many lemons to purchase in order to produce 1 cup of lemon juice. Fortunately, lemons are available year-round in most grocery stores. They can be found stored at room temperature in the produce section. Look for bright and firm lemons to make plenty of fresh lemon juice.

Measuring

On average, it takes 6 to 8 lemons to produce 1 cup of lemon juice. If the lemons are refrigerated, put each one in the microwave for 8 seconds to soften. Roll each lemon firmly on a hard surface to further soften the insides. This will produce additional juice.

Mechanics

There are several options for juicing a lemon. A hand-held juicer is a good choice. They can be purchased at most grocery stores starting around $5. With a hand-held juicer, you cut the lemon in half and press each side firmly on the raised bit.

If you will be using lemon juice in many recipes, an automatic juicer is a wise investment. Automatic juicers range from about $20 to upwards of several hundred dollars. With a high-end juicer, you can simply insert the whole lemon.

If no juicing tool is available, you can cut the lemons in half and extract the juice by hand. Much of the juice is not extracted from the lemon using this method. Plan on using 10 to 12 lemons if you are extracting the juice by hand.

Benefits

Lemon juice is an excellent source of vitamin C. A half cup of juice meets 100 percent of the U.S. recommended daily allowance for this vitamin. Lemons also contain no fat or sugar.