Squeezing Juice from Fruits and Vegetables
It is forbidden min ha-Torah to squeeze grapes to produce grape juice or olives to produce oil. It is forbidden miderabanan to squeeze all other fruits and vegetables which are commonly squeezed for their juice, e.g., oranges, apples, grapefruits, lemons, tomatoes and carrots187. Fruits which are commonly not squeezed for their juice are permitted to be squeezed on Shabbos188. As always, there are additional details and several exceptions to this general rule, including the following:
It is permitted189 to squeeze any ripe fruit or vegetable if the juice is being squeezed directly into food190. For instance, it is permitted to squeeze a lemon directly over a slice of fish or into a vegetable salad. Some poskim permit squeezing the lemon into sugar and then putting the sugar into the tea191, while other poskim do not permit that192. All poskim agree that it is forbidden to first squeeze the lemon into an empty cup or a spoon and then emptying the spoon or cup over the fish or salad193.
It is permitted to eat a grapefruit in the normal manner even though some juice will be squeezed while eating.194
It is permitted to squeeze pickles and other vegetables which were soaked in vinegar or water in order to remove the excess liquids absorbed in them195.
It is permitted to squeeze fried or cooked foods in order to remove the excess liquids absorbed in them196.
It is permitted to place any fruit inside one’s mouth and suck its juice. Holding the fruit in one’s hands and sucking its juice is permitted for most fruits but should be avoided for grapes and olives.197
When cutting most fruits and vegetables for a salad on Shabbos, it is permitted to drink [or pour into the salad bowl] the juice which flows out of the cut fruit. It is forbidden, however to drink198 [or pour into the salad bowl] the juice that flows out of grapes or olives which are being prepared for a salad199.
It is permitted to place a wedge of lemon into tea, even though some of the lemon juice will trickle into the tea200, but it is forbidden to press on the wedge with a spoon in order to squeeze it further201.
Whenever squeezing fruits or vegetables is permitted on Shabbos, it is only permitted to do so by hand. It is forbidden miderabanan to use a juice squeezer or any utensil designed for squeezing202.
187. O.C. 320:1. A minority opinion holds that nowadays when some fresh fruits (e.g. oranges) are primarily used for their juice, they are considered like grapes and olives and forbidden to be squeezed min ha-Torah; see Ashrei ha-Ish 28:1 and Orchos Shabbos 4, note 17.
188. Practically speaking, there are very few, if any, fruits or vegetables which fit this criteria today.
189. O.C. 320:4. Since a minority view disagrees with this leniency and forbids squeezing all fruits and vegetables even unto solid food, it is appropriate to avoid doing so with grapes and olives, since squeezing those fruits is forbidden min ha-Torah; Mishnah Berurah 320:17 and 30, as explained in Orchos Shabbos 4, note 24.
190. “Food” is defined as any edible item which is not pourable, including cheese, yogurt, honey, thick techinah and all cereals, etc., as opposed to pourable liquids such a soup or thin techinah, etc., even if they are eaten with a spoon and not drunk.
191. Mishnah Berurah 320:22.
192. Chazon Ish 56:7.
193. Mishnah Berurah 320:18.
194. Shemiras Shabbos Kehilchasah 5:12, quoting Rav S.Z. Auerbach; Ashrei ha-Ish, 28:5. Intentionally squeezing the grapefruit for its juice, however, should be avoided.
195. O.C. 320:7.
196. Mishnah Berurah 320:25.
197. Mishnah Berurah 320:12.
198. According to some poskim it is also muktzeh.
199. Shemiras Shabbos Kehilchasah 5:11; Orchos Shabbos 4:28.
200. See Minchas Yitzchok 4:99.
201. Ashrei ha-Ish 28:6; Bris Olam, Dosh 11.
202. Based on Mishnah Berurah 321:36.