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Limes
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Origin and History
The Lime is a native of the East Indies and has spread all over the world in tropical and near tropical regions. Here we are going to concentrate on the three best known varieties used in cooking.
Kaffir lime (Citrus hystrix.) is native to South East Asia. Popular in Thai, Indonesian and Malaysian cuisines (amongst others), it is the leaves which are mostly used. As this plant grows wild in many places, one can only assume that it has been used for culinary purposes for thousands of years.
A couple of interesting historical facts relating to names derived from this fruit.
1. The English became known as "limeys" because our sailors used to consume limes during long sea voyages to combat the disease Scurvy which was basically a deficiency of Vitamin C, which up until the late 18th Century killed many a seaman. Also "Limehouse", in London's docks, gets its name from the warehouses where the fruit used to be stored upon arrival from the West Indies.
2.
Although today the name "Kaffir" is widely associated with a
derogatory name given to black people , the word actually derives from an Arabic
word which means "unbeliever". Why they should have given this
fruit that particular name.....
Cultivation
As mentioned above, the fruit are usually harvested when unripe although they can be left on the tree to ripen when they turn yellow. Depending on the variety, main crop harvesting usually takes place from early summer through to the Autumn although many varieties produce fruit of much of the year once established.
A seedling tree takes up to 6 or 7 years to produce fruit although a grafted tree will produce fruit within 3 to 4 years. Buying and Storing
Whole limes will keep for up to ten days in a plastic bag in the fridge although they may well last much longer. You can usually tell when a lime is reaching the end of its storage life as the skin becomes more pitted.
You can freeze lime juice and the zest but if you freeze the whole fruit once it has thawed it will probably only be suitable for dishes where it is chopped or pureed. Bear in mind that you will probably only use smaller quantities of lime juice in most recipes, so it's a good idea to freeze the juice is usable amounts. Ice trays are very useful for this purpose.
Limes in Cooking
As mentioned above, limes are used in many many cuisines worldwide. In South America the juice is used in salsas and in the preparation of Cebiche, in parts Asia the leaves are used as a seasoning in fragrant curries and the flesh and juice in accompaniments such as sambals, in Africa (particularly North Africa) the whole fruit is pickled and sometimes dried and added to savoury dishes, in Oceania it is used in a variety of recipes including Kokoda which is similar to Cebiche and in North America and Europe the juice is often added to marinades, salad dressing, fish dishes and many other savoury and sweet dishes as well as many a cocktail.
Below are just a few recipes using lime in all its forms. To find all the recipes on this site using this truly international ingredient, use the Search Page.
Happy Cooking!
Hors d'oeuvre and Soups Herby Tomato Bruschetta Veg CD HD Italian 10mins Honey Grilled Scallops HT HD 15mins plus marinating Kokoda CD HD Fijian 15mins plus marinating Squid and Mango Salad CD HD Cambodian 25mins Moroccan Carrot Soup CD SP 30mins plus chilling Tod Man Plaa (fish cakes) HT HD PFC Thai 30mins Cambodian Lemon Grass Soup HT SP Cambodian 35mins Chicken and Squash Soup HT SP Fijian 50mins
Main Courses Caribbean Spicy Grilled Tuna HT MC W Indian 15mins Snapper with Mango Sauce HT MC Mexican 15mins Neua Pad Kimao (Flamed Beef) HT MC Thai 20mins Black Bean Burritos Veg HT MC Mexican 25mins plus standing Caribbean Grilled Chicken HT MC West Indian 35mins plus marinating Khmer Coconut Pork Skewers HT MC Cambodian 40mins plus marinating Medallions of Lamb with Lime HT MC 40mins Roast Honeyed Duck HT MC Approx 80mins
Accompaniments Citrus Garlic Marinade for Pork CD BBQ ACC 5mins Mexicano Pear Salsa Veg CD ACC S.American 10mins Chili and Onion Sambal CD ACC Indonesian 15mins plus cooling Phad Thai Veg HT ACC Thai 25mins Sweet Potato Fry Veg HT ACC West Indian 40mins Dhal Potato Curry Veg HT ACC Fijian 55mins plus soaking
Desserts and Baked Fayre Creme De Gelo Do Abacate Veg CD DP Brazilian 10mins plus freezing Peach and Lime Sorbet Veg CD DP 20mins Lime Shortbreads Veg CD CBF 25mins plus chilling Citrus Mousse CD DP 30mins plus chilling Lime Biscuits Veg CD CBF 35mins plus cooling Ginger Key Lime Pie Veg CD DP 40mins plus cooling Lime and Mascarpone Torte Veg CD DP 45mins
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Limes
are a smallish fruit
Mexican
lime 
Persian
Lime also known as Tahiti Lime (Citrus latifolia) is from uncertain
origins. It is thought to be a hybrid of the Mexican Lime (see above) and
Citron (Citrus medica) developed in the early 20th century.
They are larger than the Mexican lime, usually seedless and less less
acidic.
Lime
plants range from shrubs which reach a height of up to 6 feet to trees which
grow up to 6 m. They need a tropical or near tropical climate to thrive
well in the open although compact dwarf varieties are not available which are
suitable for growing in large pots which can be grown in a sunny spot on the
patio in summer although they must be moved to a frost-free place in winter.
