Good and Good for You: Limes

Continuing in a citrusy vein, I’d like to tell you a little bit about limes.

Like lemon, lime extract is used in aromatherapy (for energizing) and cleaning products (for that fresh, clean smell). Essence of lime gives off that Perk You Up kind of feeling. And apparently lime juice will help remove rust from clothing. Huh, who knew?

Lime adds a great accent to food and beverages and is a common ingredient in Southwestern cuisine as well as Thai, Vietnamese, and Mexican dishes. Lime juice make a great sour mix for cocktails and can be used for pickling cerviche too.

Similar to lemon, limes are chocked full of antioxidants and Vitamin C which is very important in the fight against many things like heart disease, cancer, arthritis, and scurvy. So if you are planning any 18th Century cross-Atlantic voyages, make sure to pack plenty of limes.

The coolest thing I learned about limes was how they got around. These little fruits have been around the block and then some.

THE LIME CHRONICLES

Limes grow best in tropical and subtropical climates and are thought to have originated in Southeast Asia.

From Southeast Asia, limes immigrated to North Africa through Egypt via the Arab trade routes in the 10th Century.

In the 13th Century, the Moors caught on to how cool limes were and brought them home to Spain from North Africa.

Limes then hitchhiked their way from Spain to South America with Columbus in 1493 and found a friendly climate in the Caribbean to settle down and get planted.

In the 1590s, the British discovered limes and their wondrous scurvy-preventing properties and started taking them on voyages with them from the Caribbean. In fact, by 1790 drinking a mix of lime + rum became mandatory onboard British ships thereby landing all seafaring peeps of British descent with the nickname “Limey.” Blimey

Meanwhile, limes weren’t done yet. In the 16th Century they travelled north with the Spanish explorers who brought them to the Florida Keys where they settled in (precursors of Key Limes).

By the 19th Century, limes were part of the booming business of citrus that Florida is known for.

The End

So there are three types of “common” limes: Persian, Kaffir, and Key.

PERSIAN LIMES – are the best known variety and sold simply as “limes” in the U.S. They’re large with thick skinned, and seedless. They have a longer shelf-life than the other two types.

KAFFIR LIMES – are native to Indonesia and used in Southeast Asian cuisine. They are small in size and have rough, bumpy skins. The rind is used in curry paste (adds a certain astringency to the taste), while the leaves (both fresh and dried) are used often in Thai dishes.

KEY LIMES – are more tart and bitter than traditional limes. They also have a higher acidity, thinner skin, and a stronger aroma than the other two types.

When buying limes, you want those with firm, glossy, dark green skin and no brown spots. Limes will keep at room temperature for up to one week if kept out of the sun and for up to two weeks in the fridge if wrapped loosely in plastic.