3 Ways to Cut Lemon

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3 Ways to Cut Lemon
3 Ways to Cut Lemon

Video: 3 Ways to Cut Lemon

Video: 3 Ways to Cut Lemon
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Cutting lemons is not difficult, but if you stop to think about the possibilities and the different cuts for each type of dish, you will see that it is not that simple. For example, you should cut the ends of the lemon if you are going to cut it into quarters, and you should do this horizontally in order to extract as much juice as possible. Also make a spiral lemon rind garnish using a few simple cuts.

Steps

Method 1 of 3: Cutting the Lemon into Quarters

Cut a Lemon Step 1
Cut a Lemon Step 1

Step 1. Remove the tips from the lemon

Lay the lemon on its side on the cutting board and hold it with one hand. Take a sharp knife in the other hand and cut off the ends of both sides of the lemon. It will be shaped like a barrel.

  • Take only 1 cm from each end.
  • This method will yield eight pieces of lemon. If you need 16 smaller ones, cut the lemon in half while it's still on its side, after cutting the ends and proceeding to do the steps in the halves as if they were a whole lemon.
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Step 2. Place the lemon upright and cut it into quarters

Place the lemon vertically on the cutting board, leaning on one of the cut ends. Cut from top to bottom in a straight vertical line. Then, turn the lemon 90º and repeat the cut so that it has 4 equal pieces.

Hold the lemon in place with your free hand, but be careful to keep it away from the knife

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Step 3. Remove the white part and the pips from the lemon pieces standing up

Take one piece at a time and hold it upright by the shell. Cut the white part of the middle of the lemon and the pits together. Discard these parts.

This white part is 30 to 60 mm thick in each of the lemon quarters

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Step 4. Cut each quarter in half to make eight pieces

Just lay each ¼ on its side on the board (with the shell facing down). Use your free hand to hold the piece in place and cut it in half. Do with everyone to yield eight pieces.

  • Put lemon pieces in iced drinks such as ice water or iced tea, or use as a garnish for seafood and other dishes.
  • You can store the sliced lemon in the refrigerator for up to three days.

Method 2 of 3: Cutting the Lemon to Extract Juice

Cut a Lemon Step 5
Cut a Lemon Step 5

Step 1. Let the lemon come to room temperature if kept in the refrigerator

The juice will come out more easily if the lemon is hot, so let it come to room temperature by placing it on the kitchen counter, placing it in hot water (not boiling) for three to five minutes or placing it in the microwave for 10 to 15 seconds (do not exceed this time).

You only need to do this if the lemon was in the fridge

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Step 2. Roll the lemon on the table by hand so that it softens a little

Once the lemon is at room temperature, place your palm on top of it and squeeze a little while maintaining pressure. Roll the lemon back and forth on the counter or table. The pressure you put on the lemon will weaken the membranes inside the fruit and help release the juice.

Just don't squeeze it so hard that you open the lemon and make the juice spurt on you

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Step 3. Cut the lemon in half vertically instead of horizontally (first option)

Generally, people cut the lemon horizontally, avoiding the ends, in the most fleshy part. However, if you cut it end to end, vertically, you will leave the inside of the fruit much more exposed and this helps to extract more juice.

To increase the amount of juice, take a fork and use to loosen the membranes inside before squeezing the lemon halves

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Step 4. Slice the lemon horizontally in threes instead of in half (second option)

Instead of halving the thickest part, make two cuts horizontally to roughly make three equal lemon slices. Use a fork to loosen the membranes and then squeeze out the juice.

By cutting the lemon in threes instead of in half, you will expose more of the area of the membranes that have juice. Imagine that a lemon is like a funnel: the bigger the opening, the more juice will come out

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Step 5. Remove excess skin and leave the lemon “square” (third option)

Hold the lemon on the cutting board using one hand so that it looks like a circle from above. Make four cuts along the edges to make the circle a square.

  • Squeeze the square lemon to get as much juice as possible. Do this on top of a container to use the juice.
  • You can't help but get lemon juice when you squeeze the middle part. If you are concerned about staining your skin, wear gloves.

Method 3 of 3: Spiral Lemon Peel for Garnish

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Step 1. Cut a 30mm slice from the fleshy part of the lemon

Pour the lemon on the cutting board and cut it in half. Take one of the halves and cut a slice of about 30 mm. Place the lemon slice flat on the cutting board.

  • You can use the rest of the lemon to make juice or cut into pieces.
  • If you have to make several decorations, remove the edges of the lemon and then cut several 30 mm slices until the fruit is gone.
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Step 2. Cut the lemon slice in half, without separating the halves at one end of the peel

Lay the lemon slice flat on the cutting board and insert the knife tip straight just below the white part of the skin. Lower the tip of the knife through the middle of the pulp until you cut the skin on the other side of the slice.

If it's hard to understand, imagine cutting a pizza in half, but stopping just before cutting the edge to one side

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Step 3. Cut the perimeter of the skin and remove the pulp from inside

Start from the underside of the shell (which is cut). Place the tip of the knife on the white part and outline the entire inside perimeter. Once you have separated the skin from the pulp, remove the pulp from inside. Use for something else or discard.

When you're done, you'll have an entire ring green or yellow on the outside and white on the inside

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Step 4. Rotate the ends of the shell in opposite directions to make the spiral

Take the peel strip and lay it straight, holding one end in each hand. Rotate one hand 180 degrees in one direction and do the same in the other, except in the opposite direction. Then, hold the ends again and continue to rotate another 180° in opposite directions (totaling 360°).

  • This twist will make the shell spiral and this shape will remain even after releasing the ends.
  • If you want it to be more curvy, rotate the ends in opposite directions once more.
  • Attach one of the "curls" to the edge of the glass and use it to garnish a drink.
  • You can use the same process to make lime or orange spirals.

Tips

It's much safer to use a sharp knife than a blunt one, because the sharp one slides through the lemon without difficulty and the chance of the blade escaping and catching you is greatly reduced

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