1.How much juice is in one lemon?
Many juice recipes include lemons, this ingredient adds a note of sourness and more complete, fresh and flavourful taste to juices from vegetables which often lack it.
Some recipes provide the amount of lemon juice needed in cups, for example, ¼ cup of lemon juice for a particular recipe. Other recipes just tell how many lemons should be included in a particular beverage. Both ways of providing the amount of lemon juice are incomplete and cause questions. In the first case, the question is – “how many lemons do I need to get ¼ cup of lemon juice?”, and the problem of the second case – how much juice do I get from one lemon? Or any other number of lemons required in the recipe?
The amount of juice from a lemon may vary depending on several factors – the size of a lemon, the tool you use for squeezing the juice and type of lemon. Hence a call for using 1 lemon is so generic that it can easily disbalance the proportions of ingredients in your juice and affect its flavour.
Since there is no standard measurement of lemon juice within a lemon, the best way to answer this question it is to see how much juice you get on average from the lemon of each size. We went further and squeezed lemons of all the possible sizes using lemon squeezer to find out which yield you get from each lemon size.
Below we provide the results we’ve got:
- 4 oz lemon = 3 tablespoons of juice
- 4.5 oz lemon = 3.5 tablespoons of juice
- 5 oz lemon = 4 tablespoons of juice
- 5.5 oz lemon = 4.5 tablespoons of juice
- 6 oz lemon = 5 tablespoons of juice
So, if your recipe requires 3-4 tablespoons of lemon juice, then you need 1 average size lemon. And on the contrary, if the recipe calls you to use one lemon, it can be assumed that they refer to a medium-size lemon which contains 3-4 tablespoons of juice.
If the precision is not that essential for you, then you can stick to an average: 1 lemon equals 3 tablespoons if squeezed with a lemon squeezer, and 2 tablespoons on average if you squeeze by hand. The yield is about one tablespoon higher if you use a lemon squeezer instead of squeezing the lemon manually, and we have overview of the best hand squeezers and citrus juicers in articles below:
2.Is lemon juice in a bottle the same as a real lemon?
If you plan to make fresh lemonade for twenty people – then, considering the average yield of 3 tablespoons from one lemon, you will need tons of lemons to squeeze, and in that case, it is just easier to buy lemon juice in a bottle. If that is not the case, and you need just several tablespoons of lemon juice to complement your drink, then go for freshly squeezed juice. It has fresher and brighter taste, doesn’t contain preservatives and has a considerably higher amount of vitamin C than lemon juice in a bottle.
For your convenience we provide a comparison table between fresh and bottled lemon juice:
If you don’t plan to drink your freshly squeezed lemon juice right away, in this article you can lean how long it can last and how to store it properly in order to prolong its’ shelf live and preserve its nutrients :
– How long your freshly made juice can last and how to store it properly?
3. Can you drink 100% lemon juice?
Lemon juice is very acidic and can erode tooth enamel if consumed pure, also it is not recommended for those who have gastric problems, as it can provoke acid reflux or gastric stress. Because of that, it is better to drink lemon juice mixed with water or use it as an ingredient to another drink. If the concentration of acidic liquids is still high, we recommend drinking it through a straw as an additional measure to protect enamel. Consumed that way, there is no scientific proof of any negative effect of the lemon juice, on the contrary – the vitamin C, which lemon juice is packed with, is essential for heart, immune system and overall health.
4. Is it safe to drink lemon juice every day?
Drinking lemon juice every day is perfectly fine. It can become a problem only if consumed in excessively large amounts. The recommended daily dose is two medium lemons, which equal 6 tablespoons of juice. That amount is sufficient to keep you hydrated and is helpful for the kidney and liver. It also replenishes ascorbic acid in your body, which serves as an antioxidant. For the maximum benefit, experts recommend drinking it mixed with the hot water in the morning as one of the first drinks.
Conclusion
In this article, we answered the most common questions about the lemon juice and we hope you found it helpful. However, for more personalized support always consult with your doctor regarding health-related topics.
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