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    Home » Cooking Tips

    How To Cut Lemons

    Published: Nov 15, 2022 by Alana Lieberman · As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

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    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Pin graphic for how to cut lemons.

    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.

    A sharp chef's knife cutting lemon slices.
    Jump to:
    • 📋 What are lemons?
    • ⁉️ What You'll Need
    • 🔪 How to Cut a Lemon
    • ❄️ How to Store Lemons
    • 🍽 How to Use or Cook Lemons
    • 🔍 FAQs
    • 💭 One More Tip
    • 🍴 Recipe Ideas + More Cooking Tips
    • 📖 Recipe

    📋 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

    1. 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.
    2. 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.

    Cutting the end off a lemon, then cutting the lemon into thin slices.
    1. Start by cutting the ends off both ends of the lemon, exposing the flesh of the lemon. 
    2. 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. 

    Cutting the lemon in half. Then, cutting each half into wedges.
    1. Cut the lemon in half crosswise.
    2. Place one half of the lemon flat side down on a cutting board.
    Cutting the remaining part of lemon into more lemon wedges.
    1. Slice the lemon at a 45 degree angle, creating a lemon wedge.
    2. Cut the lemon again at a 45 degree angle, separating the lemon half into 3 wedges. 
    3. Repeat with the second half of the lemon. The end result should be 6 lemon wedges.
    Lemon slices and wedges on a wood cutting board.

    ❄️ 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

    Can lemons be stored at room temperature?

    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!

    Can I freeze whole lemons?

    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.

    What is the best way to freeze lemon juice?

    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.

    Half a lemon with lemon slices around it on a cutting board.

    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 Cucumbers
    • How to Cut Pears
    • How to Cut Tomatoes
    • How to Cut Dragon Fruit

    📖 Recipe

    A sharp knife cutting lemon slices on a cutting board.

    How To Cut Lemons

    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.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Tutorial
    Cuisine: American
    Diet: Gluten Free, Kosher, Low Calorie, Low Fat, Low Lactose, Low Salt, Vegan, Vegetarian
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Total Time: 5 minutes
    Servings: 1 serving
    Calories: 31kcal
    Author: Alana Lieberman
    Cost: $2

    Equipment

    • cutting board
    • chef's knife

    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

    1. 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.
    2. 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

    Calories: 31kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 2mg | Potassium: 149mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 24IU | Vitamin C: 57mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 1mg
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