How Much Juice Is in Citrus Fruits
If you're using a recipe that calls for a certain amount of fresh citrus juice, you may be wondering how many fruits you actually need. The number could depend on the individual fruit, because some are more or less juicy than others. The amount of juice in a single citrus fruit may vary depending on where you're purchasing it and the season you're in. That being said, there are some general numbers we can use for how much juice is in a single lemon, lime, orange, grapefruit, or other citrus fruit.
Shop All Manual JuicersClick below to learn about fresh juice conversions:
How Much Juice in One Lemon?
On average, there are 3 tablespoons of juice in one lemon. So, for a cup of fresh lemon juice, you would need 5 and a quarter lemons. But, because some lemons are less juicy than others, it's safe to say you'd need 5 and a half lemons for a cup of lemon juice.
Typically, a pound of lemons is around 4 or 5 fruits, so a pound of lemons would yield between 12-15 tablespoons or 3/4 cup to 1 cup of lemon juice.
Lemon Juice Conversion
Use this conversion guide to measure fresh lemon juice:
- 1 Tbsp Lemon Juice - 1/3 Lemon
- 3 Tbsp Lemon Juice - 1 Lemon
- 1/4 Cup Lemon Juice - 1 1/4 Lemons
- 1/2 Cup Lemon Juice - 2 1/2 Lemons
- 3/4 Cup Lemon Juice - 4 Lemons
- 1 Cup Lemon Juice - 5 1/4 Lemons
How Much Juice in One Lime?
An average lime yields 2 tablespoons of fresh lime juice. To make a cup of fresh lime juice, you would need 8 limes. In a pound of limes, there are usually 4-5 limes, which means that a pound of limes has between 8 and 10 tablespoons or 1/2 to 2/3 cups of fresh lime juice.
Lime Juice Conversion
Use this conversion guide to measure fresh lime juice:
- 1 Tbsp Lime Juice - 1/2 Lime
- 2 Tbsp Lime Juice - 1 Lime
- 1/4 Cup Lime Juice - 2 Limes
- 1/2 Cup Lime Juice - 4 Limes
- 3/4 Cup Lime Juice - 6 Limes
- 1 Cup Lime Juice - 8 Limes
How Much Juice in One Orange?
There are 4 to 5 tablespoons or 1/4 to 1/3 cups of juice in one orange. To make one cup of fresh orange juice, you need three oranges. It's important to note this amount is for common oranges. Different varieties of orange, such as Valencia, navel, mandarin, or blood oranges will produce different quantities of juice.
A pound of oranges typically equals two medium-sized fruits, which would equal 8 to 10 tablespoons of fresh orange juice.
Orange Juice Conversion
Use this conversion guide to measure fresh orange juice:
- 1 Tbsp Orange Juice - 1/4 Orange
- 4 Tbsp or 1/4 Cup Orange Juice - 1 Orange
- 1/2 Cup Orange Juice - 2 Oranges
- 3/4 Cup Orange Juice - 3 Oranges
- 1 Cup Orange Juice - 4 Oranges
How Much Juice in One Grapefruit?
A standard grapefruit has about 12 tablespoons or 3/4 cup of juice. A pound of grapefruits is approximately 1 1/2 to 2 fruits, which yields about 1 1/2 cups of fresh juice.
Grapefruit Juice Conversion
Use this conversion guide to measure fresh grapefruit juice:
- 1/4 Cup Grapefruit Juice - 1/3 Grapefruit
- 1/2 Cup Grapefruit Juice - 2/3 Grapefruit
- 3/4 Cup Grapefruit Juice - 1 Grapefruit
- 1 Cup Grapefruit Juice - 1 1/4 Grapefruit
Tips for Juicing Citrus Fruits
The amount of juice in one citrus fruit will depend on the fruit itself, but there are some tactics you can use to get the most juice out of each fruit. Here are a few simple tips you should keep in mind:
- Use a hand juicer or citrus squeezer instead of your hands.
- Microwave your fruit for 10 seconds before juicing it. Microwaving the fruit helps break down the membranes that hold the juice.
- Firmly roll the fruit on your countertops before cutting it in half to further break down the fruit's membranes.
- If you're planning on juicing fruits regularly, it is worth it to upgrade to a manual juicer.
Knowing how much juice on average is in one lemon, lime, orange, or grapefruit can come in handy, especially when using a recipe that requires fresh fruit juice.
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