Some people scrub their limes with a brush when rinsing them. This isn’t necessary, but it can be helpful if your limes have dirt and debris on them, like those picked straight from the tree.
Don’t cut deep enough that you expose the flesh of the time. You should just take off the excess, raised peel at either end of the lime.
You want the wedge to be large enough so that you can squeeze it into your drink or over your food. Try not to make it so small that you won’t get any juice from the wedge. If you plan on putting your wedge on the rim of a glass, make a small cut in the center of the wedge’s flesh so it can sit on the glass evenly.
Repeat this process with each half of the lime until the wheels get too small for your purposes or until you’ve reached the end of the lime flesh.
Once your lime is clean, dry it thoroughly with a clean dish towel before peeling it.
Channel knives create deep, clean cuts on citrus peels. You can find these at most kitchen stores and major online retailers.
You can also use a sharp vegetable peeler to create your garnish. The thick peel will quickly dull blades, though, so if you plan to peel citrus garnish frequently, a paring knife or channel knife is a better tool.
You can also hang the peel off the edge of the glass to make it easier for the drinker to retrieve.
If you don’t cut the lime at the widest point, it will be more difficult to squeeze out the juice later.
You can also use a glass, shaker, or measuring cup to collect your lime juice. If you’re making a drink like limeade or margaritas, you can even squeeze it right into the pitcher.
Citrus presses are available from most kitchen and home goods stores, as well as online.
Filtering isn’t necessary. Lime pulp is safe to consume. Filtering just gives you a smoother finish if you’re mixing your lime juice into a cocktail or recipe.
