How to Cut Lemons and Limes

Name: How to Cut Lemons and Limes
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Ingredients: 1 Lemon or Lime

Updated Mar 14, 2026

4.94 from 32 votes

Step-by-step guide on how to cut a lemon or lime into wedges or slices for specialty drinks, water pitchers, or serving with meals to squeeze on top.

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Prep Time 5

Servings 1 serving

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Cutting Lemons and Limes is Soo Easy!
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Cutting Lemons and Limes is Soo Easy!

I cut lemons all the time. Between cooking Mediterranean and Middle Eastern recipes and just finishing dishes with a squeeze of lemon, there’s almost always one sitting on my cutting board.

For most recipes, I usually cut lemons into wedges so they’re easy to squeeze over food right before serving. But if I’m garnishing drinks or setting out lemons for people to grab themselves, I like to cut lemon slices instead. In this tutorial I’ll show you how to cut lemons and limes both ways so you can use whichever shape works best.

Happy Cooking!
– Yumna

How to Cut a Lemon or a Lime

You can cut lemons and limes a couple of different ways, depending on how you plan to use them. Lemon slices are great for garnishing drinks like Mint Lemonade or Fresh Limeade, adding to a pitcher of water, since the thin rounds sit nicely on the rim of a glass. Wedges are better when you want to squeeze fresh citrus over food. I usually cut lemons or limes into wedges for dishes like Mexican Street Tacos, meats like Grilled Cod and Air Fryer Salmon, salads, or anything that benefits from a quick squeeze right before serving.

Before cutting, make sure to wash the lemon or lime well, especially if the peel will end up in a drink. Rinse it under cool running water and rub the skin with your hands or a produce brush to remove dirt or wax, then dry it before slicing. If you prefer, you can also use a fruit-and-vegetable wash or give the citrus a quick soak in water with a splash of vinegar, then rinse and dry.

Cut Into Wedges

Slicing top and bottom of lemon off. — **Step 1:** Hold your clean lemon on its side and slice off the top and bottom.

Cutting lemon in half vertically. — **Step 2:** Stand your fruit up vertically and cut it in half.

Finger removing seeds. — **Step 3:** Remove the seeds that you can see.

Cutting lemon into wedge. — **Step 4:** Lay each half on the cutting board, one cut side down, and slice into your desired wedge sizes. You can cut each half in half and then in half again to get 8 wedges in total.

Cut Into Slices

Slicing off inch from bottom of lime. — **Step 1:** Hold a clean lemon or lime, stand it on its side, and use a sharp knife to slice off the bottom.

First slice cut off. — **Step 2:** Use your knife to cut your lemon or lime into slices at the desired thickness, trying your best to keep each cut even.

Knife continuing to cut more slices. — **Step 3:** Keep slicing until you reach about a half inch on the other end.

How to Cut Lemons and Limes

Author: Yumna Jawad

4.94 from 32 votes

Learn how to cut a lemon or lime into wedges or slices for drinks, garnishes, or squeezing over food with this simple step-by-step tutorial.

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Prep Time5

Total Time5

Servings serving

Video

Ingredients

▢ 1 Lemon or Lime

Instructions

For Slices

Holding the lemon or lime on its side, remove half an inch off the bottom.
Slice into desired thickness until you reach about an half inch or the pith on the other end

For Wedges

Holding the lemon or lime on its side, remove half an inch off the top and bottom.
Stand the lemon or lime up vertically and slice in half, then remove seeds.
Lay each half on the cutting board and slice into desired wedge sizes. You can cut each half into fourths to make up to 8 wedges total.
If desired, slice the pith off from each wedge.
Add to drinks or use for garnish.

Notes

My Top Tip: Roll the lemon or lime before cutting. Press it gently against the counter and roll it back and forth for a few seconds. This helps loosen the juice inside and makes it easier to squeeze later.

Storage: Cut lemons and limes can be kept covered in the refrigerator for a day or two.

Nutrition

Calories: 31kcal, Carbohydrates: 10g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 1g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 2mg, Potassium: 149mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 24IU, Vitamin C: 57mg, Calcium: 28mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.

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Recipe Video Tutorial

Tutorial Tips

Always use a sharp knife. A good blade will make cutting easy, while a dull knife can make it near impossible to get even, clean cuts.
Be mindful of the direction that you’re cutting in. Wedges that are cut from a lemon halved lengthwise are more flexible and easier to squeeze than those cut horizontally!
Cut carefully. Always remember to use the claw: Tuck your fingers in to avoid injuring yourself.

Two bowls of lime slices and lemon wedges

FAQs

How do you stop lemons from drying out after being cut?

To keep your sliced lemons and limes moist, just cover them! But, if you can, it’s best to use your citrus fresh, right after cutting.

Is there an easy way to de-seed citrus?

For wedges, try standing each one up lengthwise and making a narrow slice, cutting off the white membrane holding the seeds. Use the tip of the knife to flick off any stragglers. For lemon or Iime rounds, there are no real shortcuts: Just use your knife tip to poke out the offenders.

Large lemon on cutting board getting cut with large knife

How to Cut Lemons and Limes

Cutting Lemons and Limes is Soo Easy!