What Is Lime juice and How Can I Use It?

Lime juice is easier to cook with than it looks. Here's how to choose, use, and store it, what to substitute, and 967 recipes to get you started.

Key Points

One lime gives about 2 tablespoons of juice, so a quarter cup needs roughly two limes.
Fresh juice beats bottled by a mile; bottled tastes flat and loses its bright top notes.
Add lime at the end; simmering cooks off the aroma and leaves only sourness behind.
Lemon juice swaps one for one, cleaner and less floral but perfectly balanced for savory cooking.
Rose's lime juice is a sweetened cocktail cordial, not a juice; do not swap it straight in.

What is lime juice?

Lime juice is the sharp, green-citrus acid squeezed from limes. It is the single most useful sour note in a Mexican, Thai, Caribbean, or cocktail-leaning kitchen.

It runs more bracing and a touch more bitter than lemon, with a floral edge that makes it the right choice for anything tropical or chile-forward.

One average lime yields about 2 tablespoons of juice, so a recipe calling for ¼ cup needs roughly two limes. Fresh is the only version worth squeezing into food: bottled lime juice loses its top notes fast and tastes flat by comparison.

Cooking With Lime Juice

Lime juice is the backbone of ceviche, where its acid firms and "cooks" raw fish or shrimp over 20 to 30 minutes without heat. It is also what makes guacamole taste alive and what turns plain grilled meat into something you want seconds of.

Add it at the very end. Acid is volatile, and a long simmer cooks off the bright aroma and leaves only sourness, so squeeze it in off the heat or at the table.

The Pineapple & Shrimp Tom Yum Soup leans on a late hit of lime to keep the broth lifted, and Southwest Grilled Chicken Salad uses it raw in the dressing for the same reason.

It doubles as a finisher on rich or fatty dishes. A squeeze over Crispy Salmon on Tatsoi with Spicy Thai Sauce cuts the oil and wakes up the chiles.

Pairing and Common Mistakes

Lime loves cilantro, chile, garlic, coconut, avocado, fish, and pork. Roasted Corn, Black Bean & Mango Salad shows the classic Latin pairing of lime against sweet corn and black beans, while Avocado Relish leans on it so the fruit keeps its color and gets a savory lift.

The most common mistake is using bottled juice in a drink or a dressing where the lime is the star. The second is adding it too early.

The third is over-extracting. Lime turns bitter if you crush the pith and seeds, so stop squeezing once the easy juice is out.

If a sauce tastes dull or heavy, it usually needs acid, not salt. Start with a teaspoon of lime and taste again before reaching for anything else.

Substitutes

Lemon juice is the closest swap, one for one. It reads cleaner and less floral, so the dish loses a little of its tropical character but stays balanced. For most savory cooking nobody will object.

A splash of white wine vinegar or rice vinegar works in a dressing in a pinch. Use about half as much, since vinegar is sharper, then taste up.

Sweetened bottled products like Rose's lime juice are a different thing entirely, a sweetened cordial built for cocktails rather than a juice. There is no clean swap: replace it with fresh lime juice and a little simple syrup.

Buying and Storing Limes

Pick limes that feel heavy for their size with smooth, thin, glossy skin. Heft means juice.

A lime that feels hard and light is dry inside and barely worth squeezing. A little yellow on the skin is fine and often means more sugar and aroma, not spoilage.

Whole limes keep about a week on the counter and up to a month in a bag in the crisper drawer. Roll a cold lime under your palm or microwave it for 10 seconds before juicing to break the membranes and get more out of it.

Fresh-squeezed juice is best the day you make it, though it holds two to three days refrigerated in a sealed jar before the flavor fades.

To keep it longer, freeze juice in an ice cube tray, then bag the cubes. One standard cube is close to 2 tablespoons, which is one lime's worth ready whenever you need it.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1 cup (242g)

Amount per Serving

Calories 60Calories from Fat 1

% Daily Value *

Total Fat 0.2g 0%

Saturated Fat 0.0g 0%

Trans Fat ~

Cholesterol 0mg 0%

Sodium 4mg 0%

Total Carbohydrate 20.4g 7%

Dietary Fiber 1g 4%

Sugars 4.1

Protein 1.0g

Vitamin A 2% Vitamin C 121%

Calcium 3% • Iron 1%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your caloric needs.

recipeland.com/nutrition

Quick facts

Where to find lime juice: Lime juice is usually found in the produce section or aisle of the grocery store or supermarket.

Food group: Lime juice is a member of the Fruits and Fruit Juices US Department of Agriculture nutritional food group.

In Chinese: 青柠汁
British (UK) term: Lime juice
en français: jus de citron vert
en español: zumo de lima

How much does lime juice weigh?

Amount	Weight
1 cup	242 grams
1 fl oz	30 grams
1 lime yields	44 grams

Fruits and Fruit Juices

Apples 1607 Apples, granny smith 280 Apple juice concentrate 68 Apricots 237 Apricots, dried 146 Mixed dried fruit 62 Avocados 441 Bananas 1034 Blackberries 70 Blueberries 462

Recipes using lime juice

There are 1366 recipes using and its varieties.

Yummy Gazpacho Soup

No-cook chunky gazpacho with crushed and diced tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, and a triple citrus-vinegar punch. Vegan, gluten-free, ready in 10 minutes plus chill.

Simply Refreshing Summer Lime Tart

You can decorate this easy tart to look so elegant, your guests will be impressed.

Baba Ghanoush No.1

Baba ghanoush blends roasted eggplant with garlic, cumin, and lime juice into a smoky Middle Eastern dip. Vegan, five-ingredient, and ready in 30 minutes. No tahini in this lighter version.

Spicy Guacamole

Spicy homemade guacamole mashed with ripe avocado, fresh lime, cilantro, and garlic, then kicked up with chopped green chilies. Bright, fresh, and ready for a bowl of tortilla chips.

Mango Cream Ice Cream

Mango cream ice cream uses just four ingredients: ripe mango purée, lime juice, sugar, and sour cream. Tangy, tropical, and churned in an ice cream maker for a refreshing scoop with serious depth.

Crisp Cucumber Salsa

wow! tangy and so good!

Suzy's Lime Cheesecake

Suzy's lime cheesecake with a toasted coconut crust and a mousse-light filling set with gelatin, whipped cream, and beaten egg whites. Brighter and airier than a baked New York style.

Barb's Best Gazpacho

Gazpacho done right: ripe tomatoes, cucumber, and peppers blended smooth, then topped with the same vegetables finely diced for crunch. A no-cook chilled soup with lime, Tabasco heat, and an optional vodka kick.

Breakfast Fruit Sherbet

Breakfast fruit sherbet blends ripe honeydew, kiwi, buttermilk, sugar, and lime juice into a no-churn frozen treat. Light, tangy, naturally low-fat alternative to morning yogurt.

Southwestern Potato Salad II

My version of Bobby Flay's very distinctive southwestern, egg-less potato salad from his restaurant, Mesa Grill. Make sure you pour the sauce over the potatoes while they're still warm to ensure the flavors soak in. This salad goes nicely with grilled meat, poultry or seafood.

Fresh Tomato Salsa (Salsa De Jitomate Cruda)

Quick, easy and delicious. No need to run to the store. This homemade version tastes so much better, and it's good for you.

Baked Fish with Quick Tomato Confit

Baked fish with a quick flavourful confit of two kinds of tomatoes and citrus.

Thai Cucumber Salad

A quick yet refreshing Thai cucumber salad accompanies well with most of your summer Barbecue dishes.

Carrot Slaw with Cashews

It's an easy way to make a simply tasty yet refreshing carrot slaw.

Best Chunky Guacamole

Freshly homemade guacamole is a great accompaniment with tortilla chips, and it is so quick and easy to make, refreshing feeling through the whole body!

Chilled Cucumber & Woodear Mushroom Salad

Nutritionally boost your day with this chilled cucumber and wood ear mushroom salad, it’s an effective way of getting flavour and nutrients rolled up into one meal. Eating cucumber, a chilled one especially, not only thaw any encumbrances in the digestive tract, but also goes flavourfully on the tongue. Wood ear mushroom, commonly sold in Asian markets, is a dear ingredient-mate of the cucumber in the cooking of this tantalizing salad. If you’re struggling to find wood ear mushrooms then Oyster mushrooms would be an excellent replacement. Furthermore if you don’t have access to Japanese cucumber, then the ordinary type of cucumber would be perfectly fitting too. Also if you’re buying them fresh, then instead of boiling, blanch them by dropping the oyster mushrooms into boiling water for 30 seconds to a minute at the most, then submerge them in an ice bath to stop the cooking process. The glossy look of this salad is not only pleasing on the eye, but contributes perfectly to a balanced diet. Wood ear is known for its ability to reduce cholesterol in the body, aid blood circulation, and improve melanin and keratin efficiency too. Cucumber will not be left behind as it can also help in weight loss, hydration, is good for eyesight, among other benefits. And if you take a look at the other ingredients, sesame seed, ginger, lime etc. you should definitely add this to your recipe book! Let us get into its preparation without further ado. Shall we….

Chipotle Potato Salad

Chipotle potato salad swaps mayo for tangy yogurt and roasts the potatoes until golden, then folds in smoky chipotle, lime, cilantro, and Dijon. A lighter, bolder no-mayo potato salad for any cookout.

Butternut Squash, Black Bean & Tortilla Stew

Had some butternut squash, home-boiled black beans and corn tortillas that needed to be used up. This recipe sounded like a perfect fit, and it was very filling and delicious too.

Summer Watermelon Salad

A fresh and tasty combination of salty, juicy and sweet perfect for a hot day, especially served in the watermelon shell.

Tomatillo Salsa

Fresh tomatillo salsa verde with roasted garlic, hot chili peppers, scallions, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime. Chunky, tangy, and layered with smoky roasted depth. Makes 3 cups for chips, tacos, and everything in between.

Mexican Tomato Lime Soup

Mexican tomato lime soup poured over crushed tortilla chips. Bright cilantro-lime broth with cumin, garlic and tomato. A 30-minute Mexican comfort soup.

Roasted Corn & Avocado Salsa

Pan-roasted sweet corn and avocado salsa. Works well with any type of seafood or on a fish taco.

New Delhi-Style Chick Pea Hummus

Hummus, perfect for dipping all kinds of veggies or for pita bread or a replacement from mayo.

Broiled Tofu With Cilantro Pesto

This Tofu Gets It's Brillant Color and Delightful Flavor From An Easy Cilantro Pesto And Lime Juice!! Great Side Dish!!

Hari Roti

The best thing of this recipe is that you don't have to wait the dough to rise, you can make these rotis happen within about half an hour. And they taste delicious!

Cranberry Cosmos

A batch cranberry cosmopolitan you mix by the pitcher, vodka, cranberry, lime, and Cointreau with a fresh ginger kick. Shake to frosty, strain into a sugar-rimmed glass, and serve a crowd.

Cilantro Lime Rice

A refreshing and tasty cilantro lime rice goes deliciously well with any your favorite Mexican main dishes.

Avocado, Roasted Corn, & Cilantro Salsa

Not sure what to do with your ripe avocados? This roasted corn, avocado and cilantro salsa will satisfy your tummy with lots of deliciousness, and it's also packed with goodness. Serve it with some store-bought or homemade tortilla chips or tacos.

Broiled or Grilled Marinated Chicken (Gai Yang)

Broiled or Grilled Marinated Chicken (Gai Yang) recipe

Snap Pea Salad with Radish & Lime

Sugar snap peas are sweet with a lovely crispiness. We think they are probably the best vegetable now commonly available. In this recipe they are combined with wax beans and radishes along with a light lime dressing that highlights the clean crisp and sweet flavors. A perfect side dish to boost the veggie intake in any meal.

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