This genius 'no-cut' lemon hack is perfect for when you just need a bit of juice
Whether it's a squeeze on your avocado on toast (don't cancel us Gen Z), or a spoonful in your morning hot water (apologies again Gen Z), there are times when you just need a bit of juice and not the whole lemon.
Thankfully, a woman has shared a genius hack to get juice out of a lemon, without actually having to cut into it.
The clever trick takes just a few simple steps and ensures you don't have to bin the rest of the fruit if you only need a little bit of juice.
The hack was shared to TikTok by @spicednice, who suggested rolling the lemon until it softens, which she demonstrated by rolling the fruit across her countertop.
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Next comes the really clever bit, as she filmed herself putting a wooden skewer through the bottom of the fruit.
She is then able to easily squeeze juice onto her salad.
"Once you remove that skewer, it's ready to squeeze," she told her followers.
"It's mess free, there are no seeds, and that's why it's my favourite lemon hack," she added.
After seeing the simple yet genius hack, viewers were left wondering how they'd never thought of this before, with some declaring the trick had changed their life.
"Literally it's the lemon in a bottle but make it fresh," one TikTok user commented.
"That's great if you need zest later. Genius," another agreed.
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How it works and other lemon hacks
Dr Sunni Patel, chef and founder of gut healthy food platform Dish Dash Deets, says rolling the lemon loosens up the flesh and fibre to make it more squeezable and easier to juice.
"Using the skewers is a clever way to create holes for the juice to release and keeps your hands liquid and flesh free," he says.
"You'll also have less washing up to as you can avoid using a juicer or strainer for the pips. And as you don’t need to use a knife this is also a fun way to get kids to juice lemons and other citrus fruits."
Dr Patel says there’s lots you can do with the remaining lemon skin and flesh, including using the remaining part of the lemon to flavour water or tea, or pickling the lemon rind and flesh.
"You can also candy the skin and flesh with a simple sugar syrup if you cut it into thin slices, dip into the syrup and leave to dry out," he adds.
Another creative idea, suggested by Dr Patel, is to cut the lemon flesh into thin slices and dry it out using a dehydrator or very low heat in the oven, then use the slices as a garnish for cocktails and drinks.
"Why not also use the lemon as a lemon jelly pot? Scoop out the flesh, use it to add flavour to a jelly and then pour the liquid in the rind shells and cool until the jelly sets," he adds.
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Lemons aren't just for use in savoury and sweet dishes.
"Here’s a wild card! Use the remaining lemon flesh to scent up the kitchen sink or fridge by leaving it there for a few days (studded with cloves), or even the dishwasher by putting it a wash cycle," Dr Patel adds.
Marwa Alkhalaf, chef and patron at Nutshell Covent Garden has also shared some easy lemon hacks. "If you don’t have a juicer use a fork to squeeze the lemon, simply cut it in half and roll the fork inside it," she suggests.
"Also, you can freeze your zest. So every time you are juicing a lemon, zest it and save if for when your whipping up pasta dishes, cakes or even for salads, for seasoning and extra schuzh!"
