Learning how to cut lemons is a foundational skill in the kitchen for any home cook! Follow this simple guide to learn how to cut lemons into both slices and wedges. Then, put your new knife skills to the test and make one of my favorite recipes featuring lemons themselves.
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📋 What are lemons?
Lemons are a yellow citrus fruit native to Asia from the flowering plant family, Rutaceae. Lemon is a common ingredient found in cooking and cleaning products, most popularly used for their acidic juices. They have a distinct, sour and acidic taste, most commonly associated with tart drinks, such as lemonade.
⁉️ What You'll Need
- Sharp chef's knife - One of the most important tools in the kitchen. It may be counterintuitive, but using a small knife or a dull knife is going to make it more likely that you will cut yourself and have difficulty cutting your lettuce uniformly. A good chef's knife should glide through whatever you are cutting without resistance and feel comfortable in your hand.
- Cutting board - The larger the better! Using a small cutting board is going to make your workspace feel crowded and take you longer to prep.
🔪 How to Cut a Lemon
Cutting Lemon Slices
Cutting lemon slices is useful when making lemonade, cocktails, candies, lemon desserts, and marinades for proteins like fish and chicken. They’re also great to add into water for simple flavor.
- Start by cutting the ends off both ends of the lemon, exposing the flesh of the lemon.
- Continue to slice the lemon into ¼-inch to ½-inch thick rounds and use immediately as desired.
Cutting Lemon Wedges
Lemon wedges are another cut to have under your belt for cocktails or serving on the side of fish and chips, as well as with appetizers for a squeeze of freshness.
- Cut the lemon in half crosswise.
- Place one half of the lemon flat side down on a cutting board.
- Slice the lemon at a 45 degree angle, creating a lemon wedge.
- Cut the lemon again at a 45 degree angle, separating the lemon half into 3 wedges.
- Repeat with the second half of the lemon. The end result should be 6 lemon wedges.
❄️ How to Store Lemons
To store whole, uncut lemons: Lemons store best in the refrigerator in a crisper drawer and can last for up to 3 or 4 weeks. Discard lemons that have started to mold or discolor, along with any lemons touching the molded lemon.
To store cut lemons: Cut lemons will spoil considerably faster than whole, uncut lemons but will still keep for 3 to 4 days in an airtight container. For best results, opt for storing cut lemon slices and/or lemon wedges in a glass jar or container. Glass will keep the lemons from spoiling longer than plastic or zip top bags
🍽 How to Use or Cook Lemons
Cut lemons are incredibly versatile and an absolute staple in my home kitchen. If you’ve made any of my recipes using lemon juice, you’ll know I never recommend pre-bottled lemon juice. Pre-bottled lemon juice is watered down and has a distinctively different flavor.
Here are some of my favorite recipes featuring fresh lemons:
- One Pot Lemon Ricotta Pasta
- Air Fryer Lemon Pepper Wings
- Blackberry Lemon Bread
- Lemon Dill Yogurt Sauce
- Roasted Asparagus and Brussels Sprouts with Lemon Tahini Sauce
- Blueberry Vodka Lemonade
🔍 FAQs
Lemons can be stored at room temperature, but they will go bad considerably faster. If you are planning on using your lemons within 3 to 4 days, feel free to keep them out on the counter!
Yes, lemons can be frozen whole. A big perk to freezing lemons whole is they can be zested upon thawing, too! To defrost, place the whole lemons in room temperature water until soft again.
It is easiest to freeze lemon juice in an ice cube tray so you can use small, measurable portions at a time. If you have a large amount of lemon juice to freeze, fill the ice cube tray, freeze until solid, then transfer the ice cubes to a large freezer-safe zip top bag and repeat until all lemon juice is frozen.
💭 One More Tip
Roll the lemons before cutting them for more juice! Roll the lemons on a cutting board, using your palm to gently press on them before cutting into them. This will help loosen some of the membranes and make the juice easier to squeeze out of the fruit.
If you found this helpful, I'd love to know! Tag @yourhomemadehealthy on Instagram or leave a comment with a rating and some feedback at the bottom of this page!
🍴 Recipe Ideas + More Cooking Tips
How To Cut Lemons
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lemon
Instructions
For Lemon Slices
- Cut one of the ends off the lemon.
- Continue to cut thin "rings" of lemon by cutting the lemon into ¼-inch to ½-inch thick slices until you reach the other end of the lemon.
For Lemon Wedges
- Cut the lemon in half across the middle.
- Place one half of the lemon flat side down on a cutting board.
- Slice the lemon at a 45 degree angle, creating a lemon wedge.
- Cut the lemon again at a 45 degree angle, separating the lemon half into 3 wedges.
- Repeat with the second half of the lemon. The end result should be 6 lemon wedges.
Notes
- Roll the lemons before cutting them for more juice! Roll the lemons on a cutting board, using your palm to gently press on them before cutting into them. This will help loosen some of the membranes and make the juice easier to squeeze out of the fruit.
- To store whole, uncut lemons: Lemons store best in the refrigerator in a crisper drawer and can last for up to 3 or 4 weeks. To store cut lemons: Cut lemons will spoil considerably faster than whole, uncut lemons but will still keep for 3 to 4 days in an airtight container.
Nutrition
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