A cup of lemon juice is 244 g — the USDA figure, measured poured. That is close to the weight of a cup of water, which is why many cooks treat a cup of liquid as 240 g, but the exact figure here is a little different, and in baking that difference can matter. Freshly squeezed lemon juice, sharp and acidic. It is used for dressings, marinades, baking and drinks. This guide covers the weight of lemon juice in every measure you will use — cups, tablespoons and teaspoons — how to measure it correctly, what to use instead when you run out, and how to store it. All weights on this page are approximate; verify with a kitchen scale when the recipe matters.

Lemon Juice: weight and measurement table

The table below gives the weight of Lemon Juice in every measure you will use, from a teaspoon up to 2 cups, all derived from the USDA figure of 244 g per cup, poured. Every figure is approximate — poured is a technique, not a machine setting — so when the recipe matters, weigh the ingredient on a kitchen scale instead.

| Amount | Weight (approx.) |

| --- | --- |

| 1 teaspoon | 5.1 g |

| 1 tablespoon | 15.2 g |

| 1/4 cup (4 tbsp) | 61 g |

| 1/3 cup | 81.3 g |

| 1/2 cup (8 tbsp) | 122 g |

| 3/4 cup (12 tbsp) | 183 g |

| 1 cup (16 tbsp) | 244 g |

| 2 cups | 488 g |

| 100 g | 0.4 cups |

There are 3 teaspoons in a tablespoon and 16 tablespoons in a cup, so you can move between any of these measures by multiplying or dividing. If a recipe calls for 100 g and you only have measuring cups, that is about 0.4 cups. Keep the cups to grams converter open while you cook and you will never need to do the arithmetic in your head.

What is Lemon Juice?

Freshly squeezed lemon juice, sharp and acidic. It is used for dressings, marinades, baking and drinks. Liquids look simple to measure, and mostly they are: pour into a jug and read the level. But a cup of lemon juice is not the same weight as a cup of water, and when a recipe is written in grams — as many baking recipes now are — you need the real figure, not a guess. Lemon Juice is used for dressings, marinades, baking and drinks, and in most of those uses the exact weight matters less than it does for flour, which is why a jug is usually accurate enough. For baking, weigh it.

How to measure Lemon Juice correctly

Pour the liquid into a liquid measuring jug, set the jug on a flat surface, and read the level at eye height, at the bottom of the meniscus. Or weigh it directly into the bowl on a kitchen scale, which is the most accurate method of all and needs no jug at all. The USDA figure used on this page is 244 g per cup, and confidence in this figure is medium. For most cooking, a jug is accurate enough. For baking, weigh the liquid: put the bowl on the scale, press tare, and pour until the display shows the grams you need. It is faster than a jug, more accurate, and there is nothing extra to wash.

Method and source

All the figures on this page are derived from a single sourced number: 244 g per cup of lemon juice, poured, from USDA. Confidence in that figure is medium. Every other number — the teaspoon, tablespoon, quarter-cup and half-cup weights — is that number divided or multiplied, so if the cup figure is right, the rest follow. If a different source gives a different cup weight, every number on this page shifts by the same proportion. Every density-based result on this page is labelled approximate, and the honest advice is the same on every page of this site: when the recipe has to work the first time, verify with a kitchen scale.

Worked examples

A soup or a sauce

A soup that calls for 3 cups of lemon juice needs 732 g. Pour it into a jug and read the level at eye height, or weigh it straight into the pot on a scale — the scale is faster and more accurate, and there is no jug to wash. 732 g is the amount the recipe was tested with, and in a soup the liquid is the ingredient that decides whether the result is a soup or a stew.

A cake batter

A cake batter that calls for 1 1/2 cups of lemon juice needs 366 g. In baking, liquid is measured like flour — by weight — because the ratio of liquid to flour decides whether the cake is moist or dry. Pour 366 g into the bowl on a scale and you remove the biggest source of error in the recipe.

A dressing or a marinade

A dressing for a salad for two that calls for 2 cups of lemon juice needs 488 g. Whisk it with the other dressing ingredients and taste before serving: a dressing is balanced by flavour, not by arithmetic, and the weight is only the starting point. If it tastes sharp, add a pinch of sugar; if it tastes flat, add a little more acid.

What to use instead

When you run out of lemon juice, the substitution data lists these swaps. Every ratio below comes from the site's substitution database, and each one has a page of its own in the substitutions section:

  • Lemon Juice to White vinegar: 1:1 (sharper, no citrus flavour). Vinegars and citrus juice swap 1:1 for acidity; the flavour is what changes. Do not use balsamic where a clear vinegar is needed — it darkens and sweetens the dish.

  • Lemon Juice to Lime juice: 1:1. Vinegars and citrus juice swap 1:1 for acidity; the flavour is what changes. Do not use balsamic where a clear vinegar is needed — it darkens and sweetens the dish.

  • Lemon Juice to Apple cider vinegar: 1:1 (fruitier). Vinegars and citrus juice swap 1:1 for acidity; the flavour is what changes. Do not use balsamic where a clear vinegar is needed — it darkens and sweetens the dish.

And if a recipe calls for something else and you only have lemon juice, these swaps go the other way:

  • Cream of tartar to Lemon Juice: 1 tsp lemon juice per 1/2 tsp cream of tartar (stabilising egg whites). Baking powder is baking soda plus acid, so the swap is always soda + an acid in the right ratio. Do not swap leavening in a recipe without acid — baking soda alone will taste soapy and will not rise.

  • Lime juice to Lemon Juice: 1:1. Vinegars and citrus juice swap 1:1 for acidity; the flavour is what changes. Do not use balsamic where a clear vinegar is needed — it darkens and sweetens the dish.

One warning applies to every substitution: a swap changes the recipe. A different flour changes the crumb, a different sugar changes the browning, a different fat changes the flavour. Use the milk substitute converter to check the swap before you commit, and when the recipe has to work the first time, buy the ingredient the recipe actually calls for.

Storage and common mistakes

Storage. Refrigerate fresh juice; use within 1 week.

The most common mistake with lemon juice is reading a measuring jug from above instead of at eye level, which makes the level look higher than it is. Set the jug on a flat surface and crouch down to read it. The second mistake is measuring a sticky liquid in a dry jug without oiling it first — the liquid clings to the sides and you end up short. The third mistake is treating all liquids as if a cup weighs 240 g: for lemon juice a cup weighs 244 g, and in baking that difference matters.

When the conversion matters most is when the recipe is unforgiving: a cake, a loaf, a meringue, a sauce that has to set. In those recipes, weigh the lemon juice on a kitchen scale and use the numbers on this page as a check, not as the measurement itself. For everyday cooking — a soup, a salad, a stir-fry — a level spoon or a jug is accurate enough, and the figures here will keep you close. The rule of thumb is simple: the more the recipe depends on the exact amount, the more you should weigh it.

Frequently asked questions

How many grams is 1 cup of lemon juice?

One cup of lemon juice weighs approximately 244 g, measured poured, according to USDA. That is the figure every other number on this page is derived from: a tablespoon is 15.2 g, a teaspoon is 5.1 g, and 2 cups are 488 g. All figures are approximate, so verify with a kitchen scale when the recipe matters.

How do I measure lemon juice without a scale?

Pour the liquid into a liquid measuring jug, set the jug on a flat surface, and read the level at eye height, at the bottom of the meniscus. Or weigh it directly into the bowl on a kitchen scale, which is the most accurate method of all and needs no jug at all. For small amounts, use proper measuring spoons and level them with a knife. For liquids, use a jug on a flat surface and read the level at eye height. These methods are accurate enough for everyday cooking, but for baking — where the ratio of ingredients decides the result — a kitchen scale is worth the small cost.

What can I use instead of lemon juice?

The substitution database lists White vinegar as a swap for lemon juice: 1:1 (sharper, no citrus flavour). Vinegars and citrus juice swap 1:1 for acidity; the flavour is what changes. Do not use balsamic where a clear vinegar is needed — it darkens and sweetens the dish. See the substitution section above for the full list of swaps, and remember that any substitution changes the flavour or texture of the finished dish — a swap is a rescue, not a replica.

How should I store lemon juice?

Refrigerate fresh juice; use within 1 week. Storing it properly also keeps its weight consistent: an ingredient that has absorbed moisture or dried out will not weigh the same per cup as a fresh one, so a recipe that worked last month can drift if the storage has changed.

Can I freeze lemon juice?

In most cases, yes, but check the storage guidance first: Refrigerate fresh juice; use within 1 week. Freezing changes the texture of some liquids — dairy and coconut milk can separate when thawed — so frozen stock is best used in cooking rather than served as it is. Freeze in small portions, label the container with the date, and thaw in the fridge overnight.

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