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source to buy fresh lime juice

  • j

I want to make quite a few gimlets and don't have the energy to squeeze that many limes. Any place to buy fresh lime juice? Ideally in Boston, Cambridge, Somerville, Watertown, Waltham.

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  1. Whole Foods often carries fresh bottled lime juice, a shortcut I will take if I'm making Margaritas for dozens of people.

    I'll also point out that a proper Gimlet is not made with fresh lime juice, but Rose's Lime Cordial. A recipe for a better-tasting homemade alternative to Rose's is helpfully provided by the lovely ladies of Boston's LUPEC chapter here: http://lupecboston.com/2010/05/20/the... You can skip the preservative ingredients at the end if you're going to use what you make within a few days.


    1 Reply
    1. re: MC Slim JB

      I like the fresh lime juice plus simple syrup version rather than the Rose's version.
      Tried Whole Foods on River St. in Cambridge last night. They had a few bottle organic varieties, but not fresh.

    2. Lime juice does not keep as it oxidizes quickly. It's recommended to squeeze it 4 hours or less before use, so I cannot imagine many places having it on hand to sell. I could imagine it being special ordered.

      The bottled stuff will not seem as bright (I believe it has been pasteurized like container orange juice has) but it will be available. Besides the LUPEC recipe, Felicia's Atomic Lounge blog offers up this:

      While freshly prepared lime syrup probably tastes better, the Rose's is more traditional given the naval history. Although only for the Gimlet, and not where lime juice is called for.


      2 Replies
      1. re: yarm

        I agree with you, no matter what the source pre-bottled lime juice is just not good.

        I bought a citrus juicer for the express purpose of juicing large quantities of lemons and limes.

        It is not the toughest, but the price is reasonable and it does the trick:


        1. re: yarm

          Rose's Lime Juice is also better than fresh for SoCo and Lime.

        2. Bought an electric juicer at China Fair for $16.

          China Fair
          2100 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA

          5 Replies
          1. re: jody

            Really, $16, that's awesome. Do you know the brand?

            1. re: StriperGuy

              I purchased a "hand operated" lime squeezer at Williams Sonoma. You just need to cut the limes in half, put them in the sqeezer and it is simple and easy. Based on the different sizes of citrus, they have a yellow one for lemons, green for limes and orange for oranges. Very bright colors, enamel painted, so could be hung on a display. Easy storage if you lack kitchen space, like I do, and easy to clean. Don't remember the price, probably less than $20, and I have had mine for many, many years. (Not to mention some great drinks)

              1. re: snowcone

                That's what I use. Easy and fast. There are not any situations I can think of where I need to break enough bulk to use an electric.

                1. re: snowcone

                  These are very easy to use but are less efficient in extracting juice than reamer type. A step up is the FreshForce Citrus Squeezer which has a gear and linkage system that makes them similar to the higher end lever-operated Jupiter/Orange-X ones.


                  1. re: snowcone

                    I considered those, and have tried them. Found they are not that efficient at getting the juice out and it tends to be a bit tiring if you are really juicing a LOT of fruit.

              2. Wilson Farm in Lexington has it and at a very good price. Idywilde in Acton also but steep price. Whole Foods too but also steep.

                Wilson Farm
                10 Pleasant St, Lexington, MA 02421