Heat up your limes before juicing?

Saw this bit of info on an AOL/Real Simple page offering up alternate uses for your microwave:

((((3. Get more juice from citrus fruits
A refrigerated lemon or lime is harder to juice than one at room temperature or warmed slightly. To get the most juice, microwave citrus fruits for 20 seconds before squeezing.))))

Can anyone confirm/deny the benefits of nuking your citrus before squeezing?
For the curious, the article can be found here:
http://www.realsimple.com/realsimple/gallery/0,21863,1035388,00.html
--if that link doesn't work try this one: http://tinyurl.com/enoh2

~Rupe

[ Edited by: rupe33 2006-11-20 14:33 ]

I dunno about nuking 'em, but many bar guides do recommend washing limes in warm water, and then rolling them with the palm of your hand to release as much juice as possible.

[Food TV Announcer Voice] Yes, nuking your citrus before juicing does get more juice out. [end voice]

If you nuke the fruit you are breaking the pulp open with heat releasing more of the juice. There is no measureable benefit from a truly ripe fruit, but for any lesser fruit it can mean a difference of as much as an extra 1/2 ounce yield.

Keep in mind, you are simply warming the fruit, 10 to 30 seconds depending on your nuker machine. Any more than that and you are cooking it and that will affect the taste.

[ Edited by: Chip and Andy 2006-11-20 17:15 ]

Cooks Illustrated did some tests, and said temperature did not affect quantity of juice.

i'll look for the magazine article.. im just too lazy to type it all out!

Though they may not last quite as long this way, I tend not to put my citrus in the fridge anyway. Behind the bar in a bowl they go until they are used. I usually use them all up before they go bad anyway.

Since we're talking about limes: what's your preferred method of juicing? Seems like an evening of cocktailing can't start until I have plenty of fresh lime juice on hand (for Daquiris, Margaritas, Vodka Blushes, etc.). I have the citrus juicer attachment for the KitchenAid mixer and that's OK, but it seems like the easiest thing to do is just to cut the little green buggers in half and use the wooden citrus pestle-thing over a bowl.

I wish fresh, pulpy lime juice came in a nice container in the refrigerated section of the supermarket like Tropicana Orange Juice does -- it would makes things much easier. Every bottled lime juice I've tried -- even those 'spensive Key Lime juices -- are just kinda nasty.

Your thoughts?

Bought the Good Grips juicer, but it doesn't do all that great a job on limes. It turns them inside out sorta, but there always seems to be some juice-laden pulp left over. The best thing I've found so far is a wooden reamer much like you describe I'm sorry to say.

That being said, there's typically a bottle of Nellie & Joe's Key Lime Juice in my fridge for when there's no time for limes. It seems to be a good substitute, although I tend to reduce the amount called for by 1/2 to 1/3rd because it's so much sweeter.

~Rupe

Metrokane Mighty Juicer

We've squeezed a LOT of lemons, limes, and oranges with this. Grapefruits are too big though.

I've been using Santa Cruz organic bottled lemon and lime juice when I'm out of fresh stuff and/or too lazy. Available here in the Northwest at Fred Meyer stores, which is owned by Kroger, so it should be widely available. The SC website also has a 75-cent coupon to boot: http://www.scojuice.com/products/category.aspx?categoryID=77

[ Edited by: Rum Balls 2006-11-29 11:02 ]

Saw that new juicer at Target I think last weekend JTD.

I use a vintage Juice-O-Mat with the flip up top (Check image on link as there is more than one model, but you want the one that does this.). It takes all the juice outta the things. If it's a gathering, I break that out and use it. Quick work. If it's just me and the Ms., I either use the Nellie's or grab a fresh lime and do it by hand of course. Nellies is great stuff. Does not have the pulp and floaters you get with the fresh juice, but, that's also what keeps it from going bad in your fridge.

Thought I'd share this interesting little factoid courtesy of Darcy O'Neil over at The Art of Drink:

1. A lemon has about 1.4 grams of citric acid per ounce of juice. A lemon also contains 10mg ascorbic acid (Vitamin C)and 0.8 grams of sugar per oz.

2. Mexican or Key limes have 2.4 grams of citric acid per ounce and about 0.2 grams of sugar per ounce of juice.

Well, I thought it was interesting anyway... :)

I just put the lime in da coconut!!!

On 2006-11-20 16:54, Rum Balls wrote:
I dunno about nuking 'em, but many bar guides do recommend washing limes in warm water, and then rolling them with the palm of your hand to release as much juice as possible.

I don't know anything about nuking them either, but as a native Floridian who has done this many a time (I was actually forced as a child by my evil parents to squeeze fresh juice every day growing up - LOL), I can vouch for the rolling of any citrus fruit to get a little more juice your way. However, I will say I don't roll them in my hand, I roll them on the counter with the palm of my hand (pretend the fruit is a rolling pin) before using them.

As long as we're plugging our favorite juicers, I'll recommend the Nor Pro citrus press. It's sturdy as heck, cleans up easy (I just pop it in the dishwasher), and gets every drop out of your limes & lemons.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/customer-reviews/B0002IBOAK/ref=cm_cr_dp_2_1/002-2661952-1188048?ie=UTF8&customer-reviews.sort%5Fby=-SubmissionDate&n=1055398