![\"\"](\"https:\/\/patijinich.com\/pati_2020\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/lime-squeezer-1st-1024x687.jpg\")
<\/p>\nIf you were to ask me what cooking tool I could not live without, I would tell you it\u2019s my Mexican-style lime squeezer.<\/p>\n
Limes are one of the most iconic ingredients of Mexican cooking. Not lemons. Limes! To me, limes have a much more concentrated citrus punch, and I like the fresh juice. I have a deep disregard for pre-squeezed lime juice bottles sold at the stores; they taste like airplane food.<\/p>\n
What\u2019s complicated about squeezing a fresh lime? Nothing much really. But when you use as many as I do, this squeezer is a delight: gets as much juice as the lime has in a snap, feels heavy and powerful in your hand, and it is easy to maintain and keep clean.<\/p>\n
My lime squeezer is as common as common gets. You can find one easily in just about any Mexican kitchen. It is made of cast aluminum, which resists corrosion from the acidic juices. It is super simple to use: open it up, place a halved lime cut side down and just squeeze the juice wherever you want it to go, directly over food or into a bowl or measuring cup. Close and squeeze the long handles that give you leverage to extract all the juice and that’s that. Since it is so big, it works with lemons too… (continue for more information and photos)<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s a photo of my lime squeezer\u2026<\/p>\n
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And from the other side\u2026<\/p>\n
![\"lime](\"https:\/\/patijinich.com\/pati_2020\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/lime-squeezer-2nd-1024x687.jpg\")
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Up close you can see the perforated bottom that strains the juice from the pulp\u2026<\/p>\n
![\"lime](\"https:\/\/patijinich.com\/pati_2020\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/lime-squeezer-3rd-1024x687.jpg\")
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Here it is, with a big and juicy Mexican lime half ready to go\u2026<\/p>\n
![\"lime](\"https:\/\/patijinich.com\/pati_2020\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/lime-squeezer-4th.jpg\")
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And squeeze…look at all the juice coming out!<\/p>\n
![\"lime](\"https:\/\/patijinich.com\/pati_2020\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/lime-squeezer-5th.jpg\")
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If you have limes or lemons that are tough and resist being juiced, here\u2019s a hint: roll the lime or lemon, pressing down firmly with the palm of your hand, on a hard countertop until the pulp is softened. This will losen it up and make it easier to squeeze.<\/p>\n
Fortunately, cast aluminum Mexican-style lime squeezers like mine are pretty ubiquitous these days and can be found in many department stores and big box stores that sell cookware. If you run into trouble finding one there, a boutique kitchen store is a good bet, or you can look on the Internet.<\/p>\n
You will find all kinds of lime squeezers, colorful plastic ones, round ones, electric ones, even squeezers that resemble pliers. Any of these will work, but I stand by my handheld lime squeezer. It works like new even though I\u2019ve had it forever! What\u2019s more, it has bigger holes than usual so more juice comes out faster. Plus, my mom gave it to me, it aged with her and now it is aging with me.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
If you were to ask me what cooking tool I could not live without, I would tell you it\u2019s my Mexican-style lime squeezer. Limes are one of the most iconic ingredients of Mexican cooking. Not lemons. Limes!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":15542,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wprm-recipe-roundup-name":"","wprm-recipe-roundup-description":""},"categories":[1936,1049,345],"tags":[],"dish":[],"meal":[],"event_type":[],"recipe-ingredient":[],"region":[],"time":[],"series":[],"yoast_head":"\n