1 medium lemon gives about 2 to 3.1 tbsp of juice.
For 1/2 cup you need about 3 to 4 medium lemons.
Two sources USDA FoodData Central and NDSU Extension together give this range.
| Unit | Juice |
|---|---|
| tsp | 6 to 9.44 |
| tbsp | 2 to 3.15 |
| fl oz | 1 to 1.57 |
| cup | 0.13 to 0.2 |
| ml | 30 to 47 |
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Lemons from the store vary a lot in size. USDA lists two lemon sizes by edible weight (58 g and 84 g), so we scale the medium range between them. The medium range itself is the span between the two sources: NDSU Extension says 2 to 3 tablespoons, and USDA's 48 g of juice per lemon works out to about 3.1 tablespoons.
| Size | Edible fruit (FDC) | Juice, tablespoons | Juice, ml | Juice, fl oz |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small | 58 g | 1.6 to 2.6 | 24 to 38 | 0.8 to 1.3 |
| Medium | 71 g | 2 to 3.1 | 30 to 47 | 1 to 1.6 |
| Large | 84 g | 2.4 to 3.7 | 35 to 55 | 1.2 to 1.9 |
The low end of the count assumes juicy lemons, the high end assumes the low end of the range. Buy the higher number if the recipe cannot be adjusted.
| Juice needed | lemons (medium) | In ml |
|---|---|---|
| 1 tbsp | 1 | 15 |
| 2 tbsp | 1 | 30 |
| 1/4 cup | 2 | 59 |
| 1/3 cup | 2 to 3 | 79 |
| 1/2 cup | 3 to 4 | 118 |
| 3/4 cup | 4 to 6 | 177 |
| 1 cup | 6 to 8 | 237 |
| Juice needed | lemons (small) | In ml |
|---|---|---|
| 1/4 cup | 2 to 3 | 59 |
| 1/3 cup | 3 to 4 | 79 |
| 1/2 cup | 4 to 5 | 118 |
| 3/4 cup | 5 to 8 | 177 |
| 1 cup | 7 to 10 | 237 |
| Juice needed | lemons (large) | In ml |
|---|---|---|
| 1/4 cup | 2 | 59 |
| 1/3 cup | 2 to 3 | 79 |
| 1/2 cup | 3 to 4 | 118 |
| 3/4 cup | 4 to 6 | 177 |
| 1 cup | 5 to 7 | 237 |
| Lemons | Tablespoons | Fl oz | Cups | ml |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 to 3.1 | 1 to 1.6 | 0.13 to 0.2 | 30 to 47 |
| 2 | 4 to 6.3 | 2 to 3.1 | 0.25 to 0.39 | 59 to 93 |
| 3 | 6 to 9.4 | 3 to 4.7 | 0.38 to 0.59 | 89 to 140 |
| 4 | 8 to 12.6 | 4 to 6.3 | 0.5 to 0.79 | 118 to 186 |
| 5 | 10 to 15.7 | 5 to 7.9 | 0.63 to 0.98 | 148 to 233 |
| 6 | 12 to 18.9 | 6 to 9.4 | 0.75 to 1.18 | 177 to 279 |
| 8 | 16 to 25.2 | 8 to 12.6 | 1 to 1.57 | 237 to 372 |
| 10 | 20 to 31.5 | 10 to 15.7 | 1.25 to 1.97 | 296 to 465 |
If a recipe wants zest and juice, zest the lemon first, since a squeezed half is hard to grate. NDSU Extension gives two figures for the grated rind of one medium lemon: 1 to 2 teaspoons in its substitutions table and 1 tablespoon in its equivalents list. We show the span.
| Medium lemons | Grated zest | In tablespoons |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 to 3 tsp | 0.3 to 1 tbsp |
| 2 | 2 to 6 tsp | 0.7 to 2 tbsp |
| 3 | 3 to 9 tsp | 1 to 3 tbsp |
| 4 | 4 to 12 tsp | 1.3 to 4 tbsp |
The same NDSU guide lists these lemon swaps. We found no sourced ratio for swapping in lime or bottled juice, so we give none.
| You need | Use instead (NDSU Extension) |
|---|---|
| 1 teaspoon lemon juice | 1/2 teaspoon vinegar |
| 1 teaspoon dried lemon peel | 1 to 2 teaspoons grated fresh lemon peel, or the grated peel of 1 medium lemon, or 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract |
| 1 medium lemon (juice and rind) | 2 to 3 tablespoons lemon juice and 1 to 2 teaspoons rind |
USDA lists raw lemon juice at 244 g per cup, which is about 15.3 g per tablespoon.
| Amount | Calories | Sugars | Potassium |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 tablespoon raw lemon juice | 3 kcal | 0 g | 16 mg |
| 1 medium lemon's juice (about 3.1 tbsp) | 10 kcal | 1.2 g | 49 mg |
Lemon juice, raw, FDC 167747. High end of the range.
Yield also depends on ripeness and on how thoroughly you press, so measure the first lemon and adjust. A handheld reamer or press is enough for a few lemons; for a pitcher of lemonade a lever press or an electric citrus juicer saves effort. See how to choose a citrus juicer for lemons and limes and manual vs. electric citrus juicers.
Lemon is the one fruit here with two independent sources.
All values read on 2026-11-14, logged in content/data/sources.json. The official USDA Food Buying Guide could not be opened from our build machine (it blocks automated requests), so no figure is taken from it. Size rows scale the medium figure by USDA edible fruit weight; that scaling is our assumption, not a published yield.
About 2 to 3.1 for a medium lemon. NDSU Extension gives 2 to 3 and USDA's yield works out to about 3.1.
3 to 4 medium lemons: 1/2 cup is 8 tablespoons.
6 to 8 medium lemons. Buy the higher number if you cannot top up with bottled juice.
About 1 to 3 teaspoons of grated zest from a medium lemon, per NDSU Extension's two figures.
This article reflects independent editorial research and disclosed buying criteria. This is not medical, nutritional, or professional advice. Some links on this page are Amazon Associates affiliate links; see our affiliate disclosure for details.
