Wondering how much juice is in a lime? Or did you come across a recipe calling for a specific quantity of lime juice and are unsure how many limes you will need? Then you’re in the right place! All your lime juice questions are answered below!
How Much Juice In One Lime?
The amount of juice will vary since some limes are juicier than others. However, an average lime yields 2 tablespoons of fresh lime juice.
1 lime = 2 tablespoons of juice
Note: This is the standard measurement based on a Persian lime (aka Tahiti lime) which is the variety of lime most commonly found in grocery stores.
How Much Juice In Half A Lime?
1/2 lime = 1 tablespoon of juice
How Many Limes Are Needed?
These conversions will help you figure out how many limes you need when a recipe calls for a specific quantity of lime juice.
- 1 tablespoon lime juice = 1/2 lime
- 2 tablespoons lime juice = 1 lime
- 1/4 cup lime juice = 2 limes
- 1/2 cup lime juice = 4 limes
- 3/4 cup lime juice = 6 limes
- 1 cup lime juice = 8 limes
- 1 1/2 cups lime juice = 12 limes
- 2 cups lime juice = 16 limes
Knowing how much juice is in lemons and limes can come in handy when cooking. Get a PDF with lemon and lime juice conversions below.
How To Juice A Lime
There are plenty of tricks out there but I like to keep things simple!
- Roll It: First roll the lime on the countertop or a cutting board with the palm of your hand. This helps to soften it up and maximize the amount of juice you get out of the lime.
- Cut In Half: Slice the lime in half crosswise.
- Squeeze: Squeeze the juice out of each half. Squeeze by hand or with the help of a hand-held juice press or citrus reamer.
How Much Zest Is In A Lime?
One lime yields about 2 teaspoons of lime zest. However, most recipes that call for the “zest of 1 lime” are not overly picky on the exact amount. I like to use a microplane grater to zest limes.
Tip: If a recipe calls for both lime zest and juice, it’s much easier to zest the lime first before juicing it.
More Lime Juice FAQ
If a recipe calls for the juice of one lime, it simply means to squeeze the juice out of a fresh lime and add it to the recipe. If you are using pre-squeezed juice and wondering how much you need, the conversion is: 1 lime = 2 tablespoons of juice.
You need 8 limes to make 1 cup of fresh lime juice. For more conversions, see the chart above.
Freshly squeezed lime juice will keep for 2-3 days in the fridge.
Definitely! Simply pour the juice into ice cube trays or these amazing Souper Cubes trays and freeze. Once frozen, pop the lime juice cubes into a freezer bag or freezer safe container. Consume within 3-4 months for the best quality but it will still remain safe in the freezer beyond that.
Recipes With Lime Juice
Wondering how to use that fresh lime juice? Lime juice can be used in drinks as well as tons of recipes. Here are a few to try!
What about lemons? Check out this post to answer all your lemon juice conversion questions: How Much Juice Is In One Lemon
Marie
What a great resource post! I can never keep track of juice / zest amounts for any of the citrus fruits, and usually end up either over buying or under buying!
Vanessa | Maple + Mango
I’m happy to hear that you found the post helpful!
Terri
Thank you! This is beyond helpful! You have no idea how many times I ask myself these questions. And I cook with fresh limes ALL the time!
Vanessa | Maple + Mango
I’m so happy you found it helpful! I also was asking myself these questions far too often.
Julia
Vanessa, this is such an informative post. I would have never known to roll a lime because those little things can be stubborn! And we have a lemon tree (lucky I know), and I never really know how much juice is in each one. Thanks for the great article.
Vanessa | Maple + Mango
I’m happy you found the post helpful! I bet you get tons of lemons from that lemon tree! Make sure to also check out the post called “How Much Juice Is In One Lemon” for all the lemon juice conversions.