Why You Shouldn't Use Pre-Squeezed Lime Juice For Margaritas

Whether blended or on the rocks, few things hit that happy hour spot as well as a refreshing margarita on a hot day. The three core ingredients, tequila, Cointreau, and lime juice, all get to take center stage, with each offering its own flavor. Of course, margarita lovers typically have a preference for the brand and type of tequila, with some preferring only the best top-shelf Añejo and others satisfied with a silver variety. In addition to the liquors, lime juice could really make a difference in the cocktail as well. 

With tons of convenience products at our fingertips, now more than ever it's easy to take a shortcut. But most people who have tried both fresh-squeezed orange juice and the store-bought brand can testify that sometimes doing the extra few steps is worth it. This is the case when it comes to using pre-squeezed lime juice in a margarita.

Is it convenient to just squirt out whatever lime juice you need from the store-bought bottles? Of course it is, but, is it delicious and just as good as freshly squeezed lime juice? Definitely no. 

As Food and Wine reports, the bottled stuff isn't pure juice and usually has lime oil added in to make it more flavorful. This is generally to make up for low-quality juice or sub-par limes. According to Cocktail Society, you might also be getting preservatives and added sugar, which decreases the juice's sharpness and overall negatively impacts taste.

Using pre-squeezed lime juice is one of the mistakes Mashed suggests avoiding when making margaritas. If you've been using the bottled lime juice but want to start using fresh juice, you can try the hack of squeezing halved limes in the arms of tongs rather than with your hands (via Food52).
To get the freshest and fullest flavor from your margarita, fresh-squeezed is the way to go.