If you're starting a juice bar, knowing how much juice fresh citrus yields is essential. While the amount of juice in a single citrus fruit varies depending on where you're purchasing it and whether it's in season in your region, there are close approximations of how much juice you can expect. We provide the average amount of juice you will get from a single lemon, lime, orange, and grapefruit so you know how many fruits you need to purchase for your recipe.
Click below to jump to the citrus fruit juice conversion that interests you:
- 1. Juice in One Lemon
- 2. Juice in One Lime
- 3. Juice in One Orange
- 4. Juice in One Grapefruit
How Much Juice Is 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. Because some lemons are less juicy than others, it's safe to say you'll 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 and 15 tablespoons or 3/4 cup to 1 cup of lemon juice.
Fresh Lemon to Lemon Juice Conversions
Use this guide to convert fresh lemons into the desired amount of juice:
- 1/3 Lemon = 1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
- 1 Lemon = 3 Tbsp Lemon Juice
- 1 1/4 Lemons = 1/4 Cup Lemon Juice
- 2 1/2 Lemons = 1/2 Cup Lemon Juice
- 4 Lemons = 3/4 Cup Lemon Juice
- 5 1/4 Lemons = 1 Cup Lemon Juice
Note: The above conversions are approximations. The amounts can vary depending on fruit ripeness, size, etc.
How Much Juice Is 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 to 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.
Fresh Lime to Lime Juice Conversions
Use this guide to convert fresh limes into the desired amount of juice:
- 1/2 Lime = 1 Tbsp Lime Juice
- 1 Lime = 2 Tbsp Lime Juice
- 2 Limes = 1/4 Cup Lime Juice
- 4 Limes = 1/2 Cup Lime Juice
- 6 Limes = 3/4 Cup Lime Juice
- 8 Limes = 1 Cup Lime Juice
Note: The above conversions are approximations. The amounts can vary depending on fruit ripeness, size, etc.
How Much Juice Is 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 oranges, 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.
Fresh Orange to Orange Juice Conversions
Use this guide to convert fresh oranges into the desired amount of juice:
- 1/4 Orange = 1 Tbsp Orange Juice
- 1 Orange = 4 Tbsp or 1/4 Cup Orange Juice
- 2 Oranges = 1/2 Cup Orange Juice
- 3 Oranges = 3/4 Cup Orange Juice
- 4 Oranges = 1 Cup Orange Juice
Note: The above conversions are approximations. The amounts can vary depending on fruit ripeness, size, etc.
How Much Juice Is in One Grapefruit?
A standard grapefruit has about 12 tablespoons, or 3/4 cup, of juice. To make a cup of grapefruit juice, you will need 1 and 1/4 grapefruit. A pound of grapefruits is approximately 1 1/2 to 2 fruits, which yields about 1 1/2 cups of fresh juice.
Fresh Grapefruit to Grapefruit Juice Conversions
Use this guide to convert fresh grapefruits into the desired amount of juice:
- 1/3 Grapefruit = 1/4 Cup Grapefruit Juice
- 2/3 Grapefruit = 1/2 Cup Grapefruit Juice
- 1 Grapefruit = 3/4 Cup Grapefruit Juice
- 1 1/4 Grapefruit = 1 Cup Grapefruit Juice
Note: The above conversions are approximations. The amounts can vary depending on fruit ripeness, size, etc.
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 countertop before cutting it in half to further break down its membrane.
- If you're planning on juicing citrus regularly, it is worth upgrading to a commercial citrus juicer.
Juice in Citrus Fruits Chart
Keep our chart in your bar so you can quickly gauge how much juice is in one lemon, lime, orange, or grapefruit.
Printable Version
For bar owners, using fresh citrus elevates your co*cktails above your competition. Now that you know how to convert fresh citrus fruits to juice, try making your own sour mix, or give our Bloody Mary mix recipe a try.
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