Lime is a famous citrus fruit closely related to lemons. They are typically green and spherical in shape like its cousin lemon. Lime is a valuable food ingredient popularly used in cocktail mixes and making limeades.
Simply knowing how to cut lime wedges is the beginning of many great dishes and awesome drinks. Lime is not a rare ingredient and can be easily found in grocery stores. This means that we have no excuse to use lime every day!
Nutritional Value and Health Benefits
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Lime is a great source of vitamin C. A regular dose of vitamin C can greatly boost your immune system and steer you away from scurvy. About 5 ounces of lime juice can give you your daily recommended vitamin C.
Consuming lime juice can help you avoid urinary tract infection as it helps in alkalinizing your urine. An alkaline urine environment makes it difficult for bacteria to thrive on the urinary tract.
The high fiber content in the lime helps cleanse the digestive tract assisting in proper bowel elimination. The roughage absorbs water and cleanses the lining of the intestines as it passes through the gastrointestinal tract.
How To Tell Freshness of Lime
I know there was a time that you have cut a lime and got surprised at how dry they are. You have specifically chosen the best-looking lime and still ended up with some dry lime. The thing is, their looks can be deceiving!
What we want is a juicy lime. We all want about a glass of lime juice in one lime, but that is impossible! Realistically, we should get at least an ounce of juice for every lime. Getting less than one once of juice per piece of lime means that we got a dry lime!
When buying a lime, avoid the one with rough texture and hard feel. This means that the lime was harvested before its prime. Soft spots and bruises on the skin of the lime mean it had sat there beyond its ideal shelf life, you don’t want that too.
Give it a whiff. It should have a strong citrusy smell at the stem. Giving a little pinch will release it’s refreshing citrus aroma. If it smells a little rancid or a bit stale, or if it smells off, put it back on the shelf.
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Try giving the lime a little squeeze. It should feel tender but not hard. Gently squeezing the lime at the bottom part can give you a feel if the skin of lime is thick. A thick skin means it has less flesh and more skin. You want the ones with a good size and thin shiny peel.
Try comparing it from the other limes on the shelf and look for the one with a heavier feel on its size. This means it has a lot of juice flowing inside! Pick this one!
Shelf Life of Lime
A freshly picked lime can last a little more than two weeks in the fridge. Its freshness can be kept for about a week on your table. If you are going to use it immediately, try looking for a few days old lime. Fresh lime can be a little hard to squeeze at times.
To make it more juicy and easier to squeeze, you can cut it in half and microwave on high for about 30 seconds. Do not put it in a microwave for longer. Vitamin C is sensitive to heat and can be easily broken when overheated. So, make sure you just dial enough time.
How To Cut Lime Wedges
Now let’s proceed to cut your lime wedges. Note that we will not be cutting the top and bottom part.
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- The first thing you want to check when cutting a lime is making sure you got yourself a sharp knife. Using a dull edge can unintentionally press your lime too much and spill some juice. With a sharp knife, you can be sure that you are cutting your lime without giving it a squeeze.
- Before proceeding to the next step cut the cross section of your lime. Just give it a shallow cut up to the center of the flesh. This will facilitate you in squeezing your lime later. This wedge can also be used as an anchor if you intend to place it on top of glass.
- Place the lime in the center of your chopping board and cut it lengthwise.
- Now you have two pieces of equally sized lime. Flip it over and cut it in half.
- Tilt your knife at 45 degrees and give your lime quarters a diagonal slice. Always aim for exact half size. A piece of lime will leave you eight wedges
Two Recipes From Lime Wedges
1. Refreshing Honey Limeade
Nothing beats a cold citrus drink in the heat of the day. That’s why a simple limeade can help you forge the scorching heat outside! To make a delicious honey limeade, you will need the following:
2. Lime and Herb Dressing
Another good recipe that your friends will be craving for is a lime and herb dressing. It is a versatile dressing best used for grilled chicken, nachos, and tacos! Perfect for any Mexican dish!
Other Uses
Don’t throw your squeezed lime wedges! They are an effective way to remove dead skin cells and acts as an exfoliant. Acid bleaches the skin, and it can help you can even out your complexion! You can scrub your elbows, knees, neck, and underarm with the leftover lime wedges!
They are also a great way to whiten your teeth! Just mix half a teaspoon of baking soda with a teaspoon of lime to make a pasty solution. Brush your teeth with it, and you can see an instant difference! Just be sure to limit your usage as too much brushing with lime and baking soda can damage the enamel of the teeth.
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A tablespoon of lime juice mixed with warm water can be an excellent way to kick-start your digestion. It helps regulate your peristaltic movement and prime your digestive tract and improve the breakdown of nutrients.
Quick Summary
Lime is a nutritious citrus fruit packed with high contents of vitamin C. It contains a good amount of fiber that can help you regulate your bowel movement and improve the health of digestive tract.
Sometimes, picking your lime can be frustrating. Knowing some pointers can help you choose a juicy lime! Remember to give your lime a whiff and a gentle squeeze. Try to assess the thickness of the skin. The thicker the skin, the smaller the flesh. Always go for a lime that is heavier for its size.
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Microwaving your lime before squeezing it can facilitate a cleaner and juicier press!
Lime can be used for a lot of things. A cup of lime juice can make you a pitcher of excellent honey limeade to beat the heat! Salads are best drizzled with a lime herbed dressing too! There are many other culinary uses of lime too!
The lime zest can be an excellent way to add a zing to your recipe! The simple knowledge of how to cut lime wedges can open up a whole new door of amazing uses!
I hope you picked up a thing or two from this article. You are not obliged, but feel free to share this page as many times as you want! If you need to clarify something, leave a comment and I’ll contact you soon!