Bixin, a carotenoid, was esterified by L-ascorbic acid using immobilized lipase B from Candida antarctica. The conversion of L-ascorbic acid was 25% under atmospheric pressure. Ester production was twice higher when working under reduced pressure and was third lower when norbixin was used as a substrate-acyl donor due to lipase specificity, leading to a conversion of L-ascorbic acid of 50% and 8%, respectively.