Lemons aren’t cheap, so it’s a shame not to get the most from each one. Here’s a helpful tip I learned in culinary school for efficiently hand-juicing these citrus fruits. Basically, the key is to cut the core from the lemon, while cutting the rest of it into wedges, all before squeezing. This exposes much more of the fruit’s surface area than, say, cutting it in half, so when you squeeze the individual pieces, you’re able to get more juice out. Here’s how it works (see photos above left).

• First, slice the lemon lengthwise, positioning the knife slightly to the right of the center of the lemon so that you’re not cutting directly through the core.
• Turn the lemon on its cut side and slice again, again slightly to the right of the center. Continue to flip the lemon onto its newly cut sides until you have a rectangular core.
• Squeeze each segment of the lemon and into a bowl or measuring cup, and then twist the core to release its juice, too.