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Limes
The lime is a gourmet's delight although it is rarely consumed on the its own. Limes are second only to
lemons in terms of importance as a flavoring agent for foods, drinks and other, non-edible, products for
home and industrial use. The use of lime juice and lime zest to enhance the flavor of rice, potatoes,
salads, and cooked vegetables will cut down the amount of salt you need to use, and eliminate the need
for adding fat. Lime juice is excellent in marinades, beverages, salad dressings, guacamole, seafood and
barbecue sauces, fish and meat stews, sorbets, jams, and let us not forget Key Lime pie.
The lime is also famous for the role it played in 18th century English sailors becoming known as
"limeys." Scurvy was the plague of sailors until it was discovered that when they received a ration
of one lime a day it stopped, and so they earned the nickname, "limeys." While they knew it worked, it
wasn't known why until scientists discovered vitamin C in 1923 and figured out that it was the vitamin,
not the fruit itself that gave the protection.
Limes flourish best in the tropics. The top-five lime-producing countries are the United States, Mexico,
Italy, Spain, and India. Most (more than 90%) of the Key limes increasingly found in American
supermarkets are grown in Mexico and Central America; they are also grown in Texas and California, where
they are known as Mexican or West Indian limes.
There are essentially two species of limes in common use. The large-fruited Tahitian
type is known as the Bearss lime in California and the Persian lime in Florida. The
smaller Mexican, or bartender's lime, is widely known as the Key lime of Florida.
Selection & Storage
Limes should be firm, glossy, and bright in color. Persian limes should be a dark green. Key limes
should be pale green to yellow. For the juiciest limes, select ones that are heavy for their size with
thin skins. Avoid fruit that is hard or spongy and soft, although it should have some give. Limes put
in a plastic bag and kept in the refrigerator will last up to six weeks. If you have extra limes on hand
and want to save them before they spoil, squeeze the juice into an ice-cube tray, and then transfer the
frozen juice cubes to a plastic bag. Freshly squeezed juice may be frozen for up to four months.
Preparation
The outermost skin of the lime, the zest, is a valuable culinary resource for a number of dishes, and is
most often used grated. Freeze limes first to make grating easier. The zest can also be cut into strips
and used to flavor poaching liquid for fruit. It can also be cut into julienne strips (matchstick size)
or minced.
Use a vegetable peeler or a grater to remove the zest for any of these purposes, and try to avoid
getting too much of the bitter, white pith (the inner skin.) If you use a lot of julienne strips of
citrus zest, there is a hand zester tool available at good cooking specialty stores. Because limes and
other citrus products are usually sprayed with chemicals, it's important to wash and dry them well
before using the peel.
There are numerous ways to juice limes without using an electrical appliance. The most effective and
least expensive way is to use a citrus juice reamer. These are usually ridged cones set atop dishes
that catch juice or allow juice to filter into a container below. In a pinch, squeezing the juice
through an upturned hand, with fingers split just enough to let juice through, but still catching the
pits, will do.
If you don't need all the juice from a lime, you can purchase an extractor that looks something like a
duck caller or you can use a toothpick. When using a toothpick, pierce the fruit, squeeze out the juice
needed, and then reinsert the toothpick. To get maximum juice, up to 30 percent more, make sure the lime
is at room temperature, and then roll it around on a countertop with the heel of your hand until it
softens before juicing. If you don't have time to wait for the lime to come to room temperature,
microwave it for about 30 seconds.
Tony's Tip
Sprinkle cut-up apples, bananas, other fruits and white vegetables with limejuice to
prevent them from turning brown.
Tony's Favorite Recipe
Frozen Lemon Souffle
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Varieties
There are essentially two species of limes in common use. The larger Tahitian type is known as the
Bearss lime in California and the Persian lime in Florida. The smaller Mexican, or bartender's lime, is
known as the Key lime of Florida.
Persian limes are the main variety found in American markets. Although technically it is fully ripe when
the skin is pale yellow, the Persian lime is generally sold only when it is still a green color. It is
larger then the Key lime, has virtually no seeds (unlike the Key lime), but it is less aromatic and less
flavorful than the Key lime.
Key limes are more sensitive to cold and need more heat to fully develop their flavor. When conditions
are right, the fruit becomes highly aromatic and more intensely flavorful than Tahitian-type limes. It
is smaller and rounder with a thinner, more leathery skin that ranges from light green to yellow, and
straw yellow flesh. Key limes are in much shorter supply than Persian limes. They don't store as well
as the Persian Lime (they dry out quickly) so their juice is most often bottled and found in gourmet
shops or sold in catalogs.
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