LIME

Lime is a citrus fruit, along orange, grapefruit, lemon, and mandarine. They all originate from Asia and nowadays, through extensive trading, they are grown in many mild and warm climates around the world. Citrus fruits are interesting in that they contain not only the aromatic acidic flesh but also have a good amount of aromatic oils in their skin, which is therefore often used for enhancing flavors in dishes (lemon zest, orange zest). Another good quality of citrus fruits is their relatively long storage time, partially due to this tough skin that protects them from microbes and mechanical damage.

Lime is the most acidic citrus fruit, even more than lemon, and it has a distinctive slightly floral flavor that has been used for ages for Indian curries. Limes come in two sorts basically, the ones that grow in colder climates where lemons are not abundant, and the ones that like hot climates better. The green skin of lime actually becomes yellowish when the fruit is ripened, however it is usually used when it's still green. Even lime leaves can be used in cooking.

The main use of lime in the kitchen owes itself to its acidity, floral scents, and freshness. Not only dishes can be refreshed and acidified with limes, also drinks and sodas are. Lime can also be briefly cooked in sugar syrup and stored for a longer time in a refrigerator, and served as a confit that complements a dish.

Nutritionally speaking, sure you don't really eat limes as they are, but still they contribute some important health molecules to your body even in lesser amounts. Vitamin C is an obvious one - about 100 g lime covers your daily need for this vitamin that is important for its antioxidant activity and for producing collagen - the major protein in our bodies. Another molecule called limonin is also present in limes and lemons, and it's also an antioxidant - a very powerful one that battles against cancerous changes in our cells. Vitamin C and possibly also limonin are also good to prevent arthritis.

When you buy limes, pick up the ones that feel firm and have good weight. A good color of the skin is green, and even though yellow limes are more ripened, the green ones have more living flavor. It may also be a matter of personal taste which limes you want to use. Avoid limes with brown spots on the skin since they may taste like mould.

You can keep limes at room temperature for several days, as long as you keep them away from the sun. For longer storage time, put them into the refrigerator and keep in a foil. They should stay there okay for a couple of weeks. Remember though, as with all fruits, the sooner you use them the better! Also, if you want to store lime juice, well, the absolute best is to prepare it fresh. And one tip here: squeezing out lime juice out of the flesh may appear to be not as simple as with the other citrus fruits. However, if you roll the fruit against the table, squeezing it slightly as you roll it, then the flesh will loosen up. Now, you can cut it open and squeeze out the juice in an easier way.

Lime goes well with the traditional Indian curry recipes as you may already know. It can also be used in bigger amounts in fruit-inspired desserts, for example with bananas and raspberries. Coconut and rum are also good complements for this summer fruit. Some chefs also like to mix lemon and lime to get a fuller citrus fruit flavor. Lemon and lime pie is a nice dessert to make during the summer.