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Getting To Know Limes!

Want to know the best way to select, prepare and store limes? Read on for another special tutorial from La Dona Fruit’s series of tropical fruit guides!
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A lime is a lime, is it not? Wrong! There are various varieties of limes available today on the marketplace, each with their own special characteristics. 

At La Dona Fruit we think Tahiti limes are the best! After all, we grow them year round in Colombia – in fact, we’re fast becoming the largest Tahiti lime producer in Colombia!

To help you get the most out of your limes, the team at La Dona Fruit has created this handy guide on how to select, prepare and store this beautiful bright green citrus fruit.

 

Selection

Choosing the best lime also comes down to a combination of aroma, colour, texture and weight. Like pineapples, you want to choose a lime that feels heavy for its size because it will be riper and contain more juice. 

Then, check the colour. The limes you buy in the store are usually dark green but they ripen to a yellowy-green on the outside. However, if you like a really tart lime, use one with greener skin.

Next, smell the lime by lightly scratching the skin. Limes that don’t have much of an odour are likely to be under-ripe. A ripe lime should smell, well, lime-y! 

You’ll also want to squeeze the lime gently. If the skin gives a little but the fruit remains firm, you’ve got a nicely matured lime in your hands. If the lime is hard, wait! Leave the fruit at room temperature until it reaches the desired maturity level.

Finally, feel the skin of the lime. The texture should be smooth, not rough. If your lime is wrinkled or bumpy it’s likely to be over-ripe, and dry on the inside. 

At La Dona Fruit, we produce our limes in Colombia where the ample sunlight and nutrient-rich soils at different altitudes enable our growers to produce larger, juicier, and more flavourful Tahiti limes all year round. So, you can always count on us for a high quality lime!

 

Preparation 

Once you’ve selected your desired lime, give the fruit a thorough wash before preparing it for use in either cooking or drinks. 

How you cut your lime will depend on how you want to use the fruit. For slices, start on one side of the lime and cut the fruit carefully into slices until you reach the other side. For wedges, cut the lime down the middle, and then cut each half into two. 

A simple trick before cutting a lime is to roll the fruit along a work surface under the palm of your hand until it softens a little. This helps to loosen the internal segments for maximum juice! 

And if you’re storing limes in the fridge, it’s best to remove them a little while beforehand to allow the fruit to come up to room temperature.

For limes you’re going to juice, there are various juicing gadgets on the market, but the best way is to just cut the fruit in half and squeeze by hand. Easy!

To zest a lime, you should rub the lime in gentle, one-directional movements down the fine side of a grater – rather than applying a back-and-forth action which will take off the bitter white pith of the lime too. Remember, limes are more delicate than lemons because their skin is thinner.

 

Storage 

Whole limes will keep well at room temperature for up to 1 week, and in the fridge for 2 weeks. You can even freeze lime juice or slices of lime (in a little water) by putting the juice or slices into an ice-cube tray, ready to pop into drinks on a hot day.

So, if you’re looking for a true lime-tasting lime that’s bursting with juice, make sure it’s a Tahiti lime, and, preferably, sourced from us 🙂

 

 – The La Dona Family