Do You Have a Ripe Lime? Here Are 5 Ways to Tell

Limes are one of the heroes of the citrus family—they’re so good in so many things—but knowing if your limes are ripe can be a bit tricky. And once you cut into a lime, there’s no going back. Limes stop ripening once they’re plucked from the tree, so the limes you find at the grocery store should be ready to eat. They’re often picked slightly underripe because soft, tender limes could be easily damaged in shipping.

At the store, you’ll want to pick ripe limes, which can last in the refrigerator for up to a month. The typical green orbs most American produce aisles carry are called Persian or Tahitian limes, though Key limes, finger limes, and various other types of limes may be available at your local supermarket. Luckily, the way to test if limes are ripe is consistent for the common varieties of this tart citrus. So, do you have a ripe lime? Here’s how to tell.

Smell the Skin

Like many types of citrus, limes should smell, well, like limes. Though you can’t juice or open a lime in the store, a sniff of the skin should indicate what the fruit inside is like. Gently scratch the rind to let out the essences, and see if the lime smells lime-y. If you’re not getting a smell, it may not be ripe. Some people like to roll limes in their hands for a bit, to warm up the exterior and test if the scent comes out. 

Squeeze the Whole Lime

Limes should be soft and easy to juice, not too mushy, and definitely not hard as a rock. Limes that have been left out at room temperature, or even in a cold area for too long, will harden and be dry inside. Pick up a lime and test it by giving the skin a gentle squeeze. The lime should have a gentle give to it, and bounce back into shape after you squeeze. If your fingers leave an indentation, the lime is overripe or even spoiled. 

Check the Color

While dark green limes may be picture-perfect, they are the least ripe of all limes. Like peppers, which go from green to red, limes ripen from a dark green to yellow. Yellow limes are the sweetest and the ripest, though light green limes are very common and perfectly good to eat or juice. Limes with a dark color will yield less juice, so compare them to lighter and brighter limes for a riper option. Small brown spots or yellow spots are totally fine, but blemish-like brown spots or bruises indicate that the lime is not good to eat.

Weigh the Limes in Your Hand

Like many juice-filled fruits, limes should be heavy for their size, which, honestly, can be a little hard to perceive. A heavier lime is full of more juice, so compare limes of similar sizes in your hand to see if any stand out as heavier. Limes that seem too light or have very little weight to them may not be full of juice.  

Feel the Skin Texture

Healthy, ripe limes will have a smooth skin texture, similar to pebbled leather. Bumpy limes, or limes with thick skin, are not ripe. Note that most mass-produced citrus fruits in America are coated in a special wax that helps preserve the fruit, and you can tell by how shiny the outside of the lime is if it’s coated in wax. The coating can be removed at home (just throw the whole fruit in hot water for 5-10 minutes before eating), but the wax can also help highlight any imperfections in the exterior of the lime skin. Dull limes are usually not coated in wax, and shininess is not an indication of freshness or ripeness.