What Should You Know About Lime Juice?
There are many types of citrus fruits on the market nowadays, namely lime, grapefruits, oranges, lemons, and others. Limes, or lime juices, are pretty popular in cooking or making beverages and desserts.
They have a typical green color with a round shape. You can find many types of limes worldwide, such as Persian lime, key lime, desert lime, etc.
Regarding their benefits, the juice offers a high volume of vitamin C source. Therefore, it is highly recommended to protect users from lacking – vitamin C diseases such as scurvy. Plus, it would help gain your skin quality over time.
More than that, there are antioxidants included in lime juice. For this reason, there is a higher chance you can avoid reactive free radicals with the liquid.
Lime Juice Substitutes – 6 Easy Alternatives!
While lime juices offer many advantages, in some cases, you might be unable to seek any of them in your pantry. That is when you should know the best lime juice substitutes. They include orange juice, lemon juice, lime zest, white wine vinegar, black lime, and bottled lime juice.
Plus, keep in mind a few tips and tricks to pick up the correct replacement would ultimately help you have the most delicious meals.
1. Orange Juice
Cause oranges are easy to find in many local shops or supermarkets, I suggest them as the top-1 substitute.
Besides, oranges and limes have a similarly tangy taste, so they are expected to give you the desired flavor you are looking for.
What’s more, their liquid components are pretty close. Since then, there is no need to change the recipe’s ingredients when adding.
On the other hand, you might notice that orange juice offers a sweeter flavor. If that is your problem, reducing the substitute ratio or using other options would help.
The trick, in this case, is, to begin with, a small number of orange juices. Then, gradually add in to fit your needs.
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2. Lemon Juice
The next indispensable one on this list is lemon juice, a naturally close-related fruit with limes.
More than that, both lemon juice and lime juice have identical nutrients, acidity levels, as well as the flavor of being a little sweet.
That makes lemon juice helpful when replacing lime juice with a cocktail or baking.
Suppose you do not like the juice; you can use the lemon zest as another efficient alternative. The intense citrus taste would not change in both cases.
Concerning the ratio, I suggest replacing one teaspoon of lime juice with 1/2 teaspoon of lemon zest for the best flavor.
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3. Lime Extract
For some chefs, they prefer lime extract as another lime juice alternative. That might have its roots in the robust lime flavor of the substitute.
The lime extract is a combination between lime zest and limes for more details. It is often used in making beverages, candy, baked goods, desserts, and other unique food.
Bear in mind that you should not utilize fake extracts. The artificial flavor changes the taste even worsens the uncooked food.
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4. White Wine Vinegar
White wine vinegar can work pretty well as a lime juice substitute for savory recipes. Cause they have a similar tang taste, the kitchen staple is expected not to change your food, especially when dressing salads.
Plus, keep in mind that white wine vinegar is not suitable for making baked goods. Once I used it to replace the run-out-of-lime juice, the result was terrible. There was almost an explosion that happened if I had not stopped soon! Also, no need to say, the taste was awful.
That is the reason why you should be careful when utilizing any replacement. For sure, 1/2 part of white wine vinegar can replace one part of lime juice well.
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5. Black Lime
Black lime, also called dried lime, limoo Amani, or Noomi Basra, is another substantial lime juice alternative. Due to being dried in the sun for a long time, black lime has a distinctive brownish-black color.
It is also a bit flaky and brittle, combined with the tart-sweet taste.
When being in lime juice, the ingredient is compatible with stews, soups, meat dishes, etc. However, while both are limes, the black substitutes might not replicate their cousin in the flavor.
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6. Bottled Lime Juice
There are many types of bottled lime juice in online or offline grocery stores. For this reason, it can be a helpful substitute in a pinch.
Of course, the bottled one might not have as intense and bright a flavor as the fresh one. Plus, it contains more acid content. Hence, using ½ teaspoon of bottled lime juice to replace one teaspoon of lime juice would help.
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How To Pick Up The Right Lime Juice Substitute For Your Receipt?
When choosing the replacement for lime juices, some people might get confused about many options.
Hence, I suggest a couple of rules for a better decision.
First, check out the flavor. Lime juices always have a unique flavor, sour and tangy. Therefore, you taste the substitute if it is similar to the liquid. Avoiding a significant change in flavor is my suggestion in this case.
Next, think about referring to a few cooking experts if you have a new recipe in your hands. For example, some food might require the sourness in your juice, while others need it as a dressing aspect. Choosing a suitable substitute would help in this case.
Last but not least is to know why you use the ingredient entirely. When you understand the motive for your action, you tend to do it better and more correctly. Plus, no one wants to cry for something they don’t know why, aren’t they?
In this case, knowing what you do with the lime juice would help a lot.
FAQs About Lime Juice Substitute
Are Calamansi And Lime The Same?
While both are citrus fruits, calamansi and lime have a couple of pieces of differences. First, the previous one owns a golden yellow flesh, while the second one is light green. Plus, the key lime is sweeter, and it has a more acidic level.
Meanwhile, the calamari is often seen in Malaysian cuisines.
Are lemons are ripe limes?
The answer is no; they are different types of fruits. Of course, you might see they have the same color in the ripe or unripe condition. But, we use lemons when they are yellow (or mature) and limes when they are green (or unripe).
How Many Limes Do I Need To Have A Cup Of Lime Juice?
Eight limes are the number you need for a juice cup. Also, from four to five limes, juice forms a pound. That means ½ cups of fresh juice would need one pound. Buy the suitable amount to serve your parties or daily demands then.
Conclusion
In conclusion, above is what you should know about the best substitute for lime juice. In a nutshell, I recommend lemon juice as a great alternative due to its similar flavor and sourness.
Besides, orange juice is worth thinking about. It is pretty easy to find on the market, and its slight hint of sweetness is expected to bring a unique taste to your dish.