Main Squeeze

Citrus juice is pretty essential stuff. How do get it from your lemons and limes? Of course you can go the no-gadget way and simply cut the fruit in half and squeeze with your hand. Nothing wrong with that!

However, it’s my understanding that Man (as in homo sapiens) distinguishes himself (or herself) from other species by way of tools. We make them and use them. Nothing exemplifies this theory more than the kitchen.

Here you have just a few of the tool possibilities for getting juice from a lemon or lime.

The stainless steel and wood reamer illustrated here are characterized by the multi-sided shape. When you squeeze and turn your lemon or lime on either of these, the juice is pressed and scraped from the interior of the fruit. The stainless steel reamer can sit on a cup or bowl, straining the seeds from the juice. Seeds actually stick (sort of) to a wood reamer and this is held over whatever needs juice as you press the fruit against the reamer and twist.

The fancy cast aluminum double handled thing relies on brute force. Just put in a fruit half and squeeze the handles together.

There are many uses for citrus juice. Here are two very basic ones:

• Lemon juice and some olive oil will make a lovely simple salad dressing.

• If you want to jazz up a glass of seltzer, a little bit of juice will do it.