Soak the Lime Juice for the Tastiest Shake
Freshly squeezed lime juice is a key ingredient in many gourmet drinks, and I’ve always understood that you want it to be as fresh as possible. It turns out that this kind of thinking was insane. For the best flavor, let the juice sit for a while – ideally four to 10 hours.
This is due to a process known as “enzymatic bitterness,” according to Daniel Boyar of Tales of the Cocktail. (Click below for a very detailed explanation.) Basically, when the cell walls of a fruit are damaged by juicing, enzymes interfere with a couple of chemical compounds called “nomiline” and “limonoate A-ring lactone” and transform them. eventually into bitter limonin. It may sound like you want to avoid completely, but – as any divorced person will tell you – a little bitterness can be a very good thing. The bit limonin obtained by enzymatic bitterness after four hours (and before 10) is not enough to make the juice taste unpleasant, but it is enough to suppress some of the acidity in the juice, giving it a rounder, softer taste. (Note: This is not at all the case for orange juice, which tastes less palatable after 30 minutes.)
Does this mean that I will soak all of the lime juice before mixing it with daiquiri or margarita? Probably not, because I live very last minute, but it’s good to know that I can pre-squeeze a whole bunch of lime juice before a party, rather than squeezing out every lime when I make drinks. Not only will this be fine, the taste will improve throughout the party (unless the party is more than 10 hours long, at which point you probably won’t notice the nuances in the lime juice anyway).
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