Limes

What to look for when buying limes

Look for a lime that:

  • Is firm and feels heavy in the hand for its size
  • Has a glossy, deep green skin with no yellow
  • Does not have a lot of brown
  • Has no decay or mold
  • Isn’t hard or shriveled

A lime that feels firm and heavy in your hand indicates that it probably has lots of juice. Yellow on the skin indicates that the lime may be overripe. Limes that are wrinkled, dull, or have hard spots may be overripe. A lime that is mostly brown may have “scald” and taste bad.

As long as it doesn’t have mold, scald, or other evidence of spoilage, a lime does not need to perfectly meet all the criteria above to be edible or usable in a recipe. The closer it is to meeting these guidelines, however, the higher its quality should be.

Notes

The amount of juice you can get from a lime depends upon its size, age, and condition. For example, a hard and shriveled lime is probably old and won’t have a lot of juice. A lime that feels light in your hand will probably have less juice than one that feels heavy. Most recipes that call for the “juice from one lime” are really calling for about two tablespoons of lime juice, which should be the approximate yield for a lime that meets the criteria above.

Storing limes

An uncut lime should stay fresh for up to one week at room temperature. Do not expose it to direct sunlight. Slices and pieces should be stored in the refrigerator, wrapped in plastic to keep them from drying out, and used as quickly as possible. Whole limes can last up to four weeks when placed in a resealable bag and stored in the crisper.

Lime juice and zest can be frozen for later use.

  • Freeze lime juice in ice cube trays. Once frozen, transfer the cubes to resealable freezer bags and return to the freezer.
  • To freeze zest, wrap it tightly in a piece of plastic or put it in a freezer bag with as much air removed from it as possible.

Whole limes and lime pieces can be frozen, too, but will be mushy when defrosted.

  • Freeze slices and wedges on a cookie sheet first, then transfer them to freezer-safe containers and return to the freezer.