How to Juice a Lime: 3 Ways to Juice a Lime

Lime is a citrus fruit that typically has a green rind, minimal flesh, and tart juice brimming with acidity. Many different plant species produce fruit that gets classified as a lime, from key limes to Makrut limes to Persian limes and beyond. All are hight in vitamin C.

Compared to other types of citrus fruit juice, lime juice is particularly sour. Lime juice has five times more citric acid than orange juice, two times more citric acid than grapefruit juice, and slightly less citric acid than lemon juice.

To produce lime juice with a tabletop citrus juicer, follow these easy steps.

1. 1. Slice: Slice your lime in half on a cutting board. Each cut side should be flat.
2. 2. Press: Place a bowl or glass underneath the juicer and press one lime half into the juicer. Place the cut side down, and press hard on the lever.
3. 3. Rotate: Rotate the lime so you can press more lime membranes and release as much citrus juice as possible.
4. 4. Repeat: Repeat steps two and three with the other lime half. Consider filtering the fresh citrus juice through a strainer to remove any pulp or seeds. One whole lime should produce roughly one tablespoon or one full ounce of lime juice.

If you don't own a citrus juicer or prefer not to use one, you have other options for juicing fresh limes.

1. 1. With a citrus squeezer: Cut your lime in half, and place one of these halves in a citrus squeezer with the cut side facing toward the holes. Take the two handles of the squeezer, and squeeze them together over a glass. Lime juice will pour out and into your glass.
2. 2. With a handheld reamer: Instead of using the reamer built into a citrus juicer, try using a handheld plastic or wooden reamer. Simply slice the lime in half, then twist the reamer into one of the halves, slowly spinning it to break the membranes and extract juice.
3. 3. By hand: Simply halve the lime with a knife, place it in the palm of your hand with the cut side facing away from your palm, and compress your hand into a fist to release the juice

Use these key tips when juicing your limes and storing them for future use.

1. 1. Juicing at room temperature produces the greatest amount of juice. If you store limes in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator, set them out on the countertop for an hour before juicing to bring them to room temperature.
2. 2. Roll each lime before slicing it and juicing it. Press each whole lime into the countertop and roll it around. This breaks some membranes and unlocks some of the juice in advance.
3. 3. Use lime rinds for garnish and flavoring. Instead of throwing away your lime rinds, run them over a microplane for some lime zest or slice a twist of lime for a drink garnish.
4. 4. Lime juice lasts longer in dark containers. You can store lime juice in glass bottles, food-safe plastic bottles, or even plastic bags in the refrigerator. Take note, however, that excessive light can make lime juice go bad more rapidly. Use opaque containers if you have them.
5. 5. Drink lime juice soon after squeezing. Even though you can extend the life of lime juice in an opaque container, it will taste best if you consume it within twenty-four hours of squeezing.

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