Numerous varieties of citrus fruit are referred to as lime (literally, tiny lime).
Properties
Lime fruit ranges in color from green to yellow and has a three to six centimeter diameter. Their flesh is edible and has a very acidic flavor that is similar to lemons but often has a stronger, tangier flavor.
Similar to the lemon, the lime has a fair amount of vitamin C and, to a lesser extent, some B vitamins. Nevertheless, only around 50% of the lemon’s vitamin C concentration is present.
Use
Due to their potent sour flavor, limes are typically utilized as an ingredient to give prepared foods a more sour flavor.
Cocktails like the caipirinha, mojito, daiquiri, margarita, Cuba Libre, and Cosmopolitan are where this ingredient is most commonly used. In addition, lime juice serves as the primary component of lime juice cordial, a beverage addition used in traditional cocktails like the gimlet.
Recipes from the Caribbean or the United States have traditionally included lime juice. Since limes became widely available and reasonably priced all year round in the 1990s, it has just recently become widespread in Europe. Also used for blending are lime syrup and lime juice cordial.
Lime is primarily utilized in Mexican, Arabic, and Southeast Asian cuisines for baking and cooking. Here, dried limes and lime plant leaves are used in addition to the fresh fruit. Lime juice is also used to make the Florida delicacy Key Lime Pie. Furthermore, limes are used to make essential oils.
Lime juice was used successfully for this purpose after it was discovered in the 18th century that fresh fruit might prevent or treat scurvy. Due to limes’ substantially lower vitamin C content than lemons, the sickness returned when British seafarers began drinking lime juice.
Lime Varieties
- Citrus limon (Citrus floridana)
- British limes
- Desert lime from Australia (Citrus glauca)
- finger lime from Australia (Citrus australasica)
- Australian limes, round (Citrus australis)
- Citrus aurantiifolia, or “true lime,”
- Lime common (Citrus latifolia)
- Koh sam li (Citrus hystrix)
- Kumquat and lime hybrids known as limequats (Citrus floridana), sometimes known as Citrofortunella
- Both red and blood lime
- European lime (Melicoccus bijugatus)
- sour lime (Citrus limetta)
- Lima, wild (Adelia ricinella)