How to Cut Limes: 5 Easy Ways to Do So
Cutting limes may seem like a job that even a 9-year old kid can do. But let’s face it—a lot of adults don’t even know how to cut limes. I’ve seen a lot of full grown men and women who struggle to get a decent amount of juice from lime!
Has this ever happened to you before? You are in a house party and you volunteer to prepare cocktail. But after cutting 3-4 limes, you were barely able to add lime juice to the drink.
I know how embarrassing this can be. Moreover, limes are pretty expensive so you naturally want to get as much juice from them.
I’ve got some tips that you should keep in mind the next time you find yourself cutting limes.
1. Make a cut on all four sides
One way to cut a lime is to slice all four sides of the fruit.
Here’s a step-by-step guide to doing this:
- Put the lime on a cutting board.
- Using a sharp knife, cut off the bottom tip.
- Cut all the four sides.
- Leave the middle part untouched.
By doing this trick, you will be able to squeeze out all the juice from the lime with very minimal effort.
2. Bartender’s way of cutting limes
Bartenders can do a lot of awesome stuff, including making lime wedges. How do they do it? You’ll be surprised at how simple it is.
Here’s how bartenders cut limes:
- Cut a lime in half. Cut lengthwise and not crosswise.
- Slash a slit on each half. The small opening must be perpendicular to the direction you cut the lime in half. It must also be deep enough to release the juice without piercing through the skin of the lime.
- Put the half lime flat side down. Then cut three wedges perpendicular to the small opening you made.
- Position the wedge on the rim of the glass.
Here’s a YouTube video that you can watch to better understand how bartenders cut limes.
3. Cutting limes in Thai style
Thais have a different way of cutting and juicing limes. They cut around the core of the lime, which makes it a lot easier to squeeze the fruit and extract the lime juice. I can say that the Thais have come up with a very clever way of cutting limes.
Here’s how the Thais cut limes:
- Cut the lime lengthwise and not crosswise. The cut should be just to the side of the stem.
- Rotate the lime and make the second slit. You must cut it in the same way that you did earlier—lengthwise and not crosswise.
- Repeat this in the other half of the lime.
- You’ll eventually have four oval-shaped pieces of lime along with a rectangular core.
You can then juice one of those four-oval shaped pieces by squeezing it over a bowl with your fingers. As for the core, the trick is to hold on to each end and twist the lime as if you are wringing water out of a wet towel.
With this trick, you can maximize the juice you extract from the fruit.
4. Lime twists
You can also make lime twists to decorate salads. This is also fairly simple to do:
- Place the lime on a cutting board.
- Cut a thin slice through the lime, cutting as many slices as you can for garnish or decoration.
- Once you have cut the lime into numerous thin slices, get one slice and make a small cut halfway through it.
- Twist the two sides of the lime slice in opposite directions before folding it around. You now have a lime twist that you can use as a garnish.
But what if you want to get the most juice out of a lime? Here’s another way to do so:
5. Cutting a lime in three parts
This hack originated from a Reddit post, which showed a photograph of a box of limes with instructions on how to get the most juice out of the fruit.
The instructions suggest cutting the lime in three parts. Here’s how you do it:
- Put the lime on a cutting board.
- Slice the lime in three parts.
- Cut the middle part or the core in three sections.
Regardless of the cutting method you are to follow here’s one thing you should remember— use a sharp knife when cutting lime!
Insisting on a knife with dull edges can backfire on you. There’s also a good chance you will press on the lime too much and spill juice if you use a knife with dull edges.
Conclusion
Admit it— you are used to cutting lime crosswise. That seems to be the most logical way of cutting it, right?
But as you have learned after reading these tips, the best way to cut a lime is lengthwise.
Now that you have learned the different ways of cutting lime, why don’t you share this article with your friends, family members, and colleagues? They’ll be very happy to find out the best ways to cut and extract juice from limes.
