• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • Sous Vide
  • Air Fryer
  • Starbucks Copycat Drinks

IzzyCooking

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Home
  • Sous Vide
  • Air Fryer
  • Starbucks Copycat Drinks
  • Let’s Connect!

    • Email
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Home
    • Sous Vide
    • Air Fryer
    • Starbucks Copycat Drinks
  • Let’s Connect!

    • Email
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Cooking Basics

    02/25/2022

    Lime vs Lemon (Differences, Tastes, Nutrition, Benefits, and More)

    • Share
    Jump to Recipe - Print Recipe

    Sweet, sour, bitter and tart – words that describe a lemon or a lime? You’ll find the answer to that and so much more in this article. From the benefits, tastes, shape and uses, there are many similarities and differences between lime and lemon.

    Sweet, sour, bitter and tart - words that describe a lemon or a lime? You’ll find the answer to that and so much more in this article. From the benefits, tastes, shape and uses, there are many similarities and differences between lime and lemon.
    Table of Contents Show
    What is a Lime?
    What is Lemon?
    Are Limes Unripe Lemons (Are Lemons and Limes the Same)?
    Do Limes Turn into Lemons?
    What are the Similarities Between Lime and Lemon?
    Can I Substitute Lime for Lemon?
    Differences Between Limes and Lemons
    1. Nutrition
    2. Health Benefits
    3. Size and Shape
    4. Flavors
    5. Price
    6. Calories
    7. The Usage
    Lime Water vs Lemon Water
    Recipes Using Lemon
    Recipes Using Lime
    Difference Between Lime and Lemons (+ Easy Lemon Truffles Recipe)

    What is a Lime?

    Lime is a citrus fruit that is small, green, and can be found at your local grocery store. The most common are Persian limes, with most of the world’s limes grown in Mexico. 

    Throughout the world, limes are commonly used in different cuisines – using bottled lime juice or fresh limes can really make a noticeable difference in the flavor of your dishes. 

    Available year-round, limes are typically sold when they are a dark green color and turn a yellowish color as they ripen.

    Sweet, sour, bitter and tart - words that describe a lemon or a lime? You’ll find the answer to that and so much more in this article. From the benefits, tastes, shape and uses, there are many similarities and differences between lime and lemon.

    What is Lemon?

    Lemon is a citrus fruit that is a bright yellow color. It is harvested for much of the year – however, this can be dependent on where the lemon tree is growing and in what conditions. 

    Lemons can be enjoyed juiced, candied, preserved or dried out. 

    Sweet, sour, bitter and tart - words that describe a lemon or a lime? You’ll find the answer to that and so much more in this article. From the benefits, tastes, shape and uses, there are many similarities and differences between lime and lemon.

    Are Limes Unripe Lemons (Are Lemons and Limes the Same)?

    Because limes are smaller, green, with a similar shape to that of lemons, some people think, that they are unripened lemons. However, this isn’t the case. 

    They are different fruits. Limes are small, round, and green, while lemons are usually larger, oval-shaped, and bright yellow. 

    Nutritionally, they’re almost identical and share many of the same potential health benefits. Both fruits are acidic and sour, but lemons tend to be sweeter, while limes have a more bitter flavor.

    Do Limes Turn into Lemons?

    Because they are different fruits, a lime will never turn into a lemon.

    What are the Similarities Between Lime and Lemon?

    Flavor: When it comes to flavor, both lemons and limes have similar citrus flavors – they’re both tart. It’s especially fun to eat them or watch others eat them and get a puckered facial expression. 

    Usage: While lemons can be more on the sweet side and limes are more bitter, they both are used in many cuisines to help boost flavors.

    Health Benefits: Both lemons and limes have been used in traditional medicine and each contain antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals and provide many health benefits. They are both high in Vitamin C and have the potential to protect cells from damage.

    Cut Lemon

    Can I Substitute Lime for Lemon?

    Limes can be a good substitute for lemons, however, one thing to keep in mind is that limes are more commonly used in Latin or Southeast Asian dishes and lemons are more commonly used in Mediterranean dishes. 

    It wouldn’t make sense to add a squeeze of lime to a salad – which puts the emphasis on making sure you substitute lime in for lemon on the right recipes.

    Differences Between Limes and Lemons 

    1. Nutrition

    When it comes to nutrition, lemons can be a bit on the more nutritious side compared to limes. Lemons contain 29 calories, 9 grams of carbs, 3 grams of fiber and 0 grams of fat. Limes contain 30 calories, 11 grams of carbs, 3 grams of fiber and 0 grams of fat.  

    2. Health Benefits 

    Limes take the win here. While lemons have more and are more citric, they also are an excellent source of potassium and magnesium. However, limes contain higher amounts of phosphorus, vitamins A and C, calcium, and folate.

    3. Size and Shape 

    The most noticeable difference between lemons and limes is their size and shape. Lemons are about 2-4 inches, oval-shaped and are bright yellow. Whereas limes are smaller, coming in at about 1-2 inches, rounder and typically bright green.

    4. Flavors

    While these two fruits are similar, lemons tend to be sweeter and limes more bitter. Due to limes being more bitter, they are often described as being sourer than lemons.  

    5. Price

    The price of one lemon is about 56 cents and the cost of a lime is about 38 cents – making the cost of a  lemon about twice that of a lime.

    6. Calories

     A lemon has about 29 calories whereas a lime has about 30 calories.

    7. The Usage

    Limes are often used for more savory dishes, whereas lemons are used in both savory and sweet dishes.  

    Cut Lime

    Lime Water vs Lemon Water

    Lime water and lemon water are very different. They both contain healthy benefits, but they both differ in their tastes. Lemons taste sweeter, whereas limes are more bitter. When looking at the biggest difference – it’s noted that lemon water contains more vitamin c, has higher calcium and vitamin than lime water does. They are effective in eliminating toxins from your body. 

    Recipes Using Lemon

    • Lemon Panna Cotta
    • Homemade Lemon Truffles
    • Lemon Bars (Lemon Squares)
    • Lemon Blueberry Poke Cake

    Recipes Using Lime

    • Blood Orange Margarita
    • Green Tomato Salsa
    • Key Lime Pie in a Jar
    • Lime Bars
    Sweet, sour, bitter and tart - words that describe a lemon or a lime? You’ll find the answer to that and so much more in this article. From the benefits, tastes, shape and uses, there are many similarities and differences between lime and lemon.

    Difference Between Lime and Lemons (+ Easy Lemon Truffles Recipe)

    Sweet, sour, bitter and tart – words that describe a lemon or a lime? You’ll find the answer to that and so much more in this article. From the benefits, tastes, shape and uses, there are many similarities and differences between lime and lemon.
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 5 minutes
    Chilling Time: 1 hour
    Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
    Servings: 20 truffles
    Author: Izzy

    Ingredients 

    • 1 15- oz box lemon cake mix
    • 1/2 cup butter melted
    • 1 lemon 1 tbsp juice + 1 tsp zest
    • 2 tbsp sugar
    • 1 tbsp butter solid, for your hands
    • 1/2 cup yellow sprinkles

    Instructions 

    • Preheat your oven to 350°F. Place sprinkles on a plate and set aside.
    • Spread out the lemon cake mix powder on a baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes to heat treat.
    • In a large bowl, mix the baked cake mix, sugar, melted butter, lemon juice, and zest until it starts to form a dough.
    • Butter your hands with the solid cube of butter.
    • Make the dough into 1 1/2-inch balls.
    • Roll each truffle thoroughly in the sprinkles to coat and set onto a separate plate or container.
    • Chill for an hour to set. Serve and enjoy!

    Notes

    • This recipe makes 15-20 truffles depending on how big you make them. You may want to double the recipe for a party.
    Author: Izzy
    Keyword: Lime vs lemon
    Tried this recipe?Follow or tag us on Pinterest @izzycooking

    Filed Under: Cooking Basics, Recipes

    About Izzy

    I'm Izzy, a food lover and photographer. Here you’ll find a collection of simple recipes that are perfect for busy people. My blog aims to help you make and enjoy delicious and healthy food at home.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. S. ADEREMI DADA says

      November 06, 2022 at 10:45 am

      Excellent clarification and benefit of use.

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, this is Izzy! On my blog, you will find easy and delicious recipes for the everyday home cook, with easy-to-follow instructions and step-by-step photos.

    More about me →

    Popular

    • Salchipapas (Peruvian French Fries and Beef Sausages)
    • Beef Medium Rare Temp (What Temperature is Medium Rare Beef?)
    • Is Oatmeal Keto-Friendly and Carbs in Oats (+ Keto Oatmeal Recipe)
    • Iced Pineapple Matcha (Starbucks Copycat Recipe)

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Copyright © 2022 - Izzycooking