Monday, August 25, 2008

Limes


Some time ago, maybe 4 years, I was given some limes to try from a lady at my workplace. They were orange in colour and she said they were a 'Bartender' lime. With a bit of research I discovered that the Bartender lime (Key lime, Mexican lime) is actually yellow/green in colour.

This lime is one of 2 possible varieties:

1. Calmondin or Musk Lime (Citrus x Citrofortunella mitis). Also known as calamondin orange; Chinese, or China, orange; Panama orange; golden lime; scarlet lime; in the Philippines, kalamondin, kalamunding, kalamansi, calamansi, limonsito, or agridulce; Malayan names include limau chuit and limau kesturi (“musk lime”); in Thailand, ma-nao-wan.

2. Rangpur Lime (Citrus x limonia Osbeck). From the Pacific Rim, the Rangpur lime has an orange rind and orange fruit. It is also called the Mandarin lime. The name can be misleading because there are few similarities between the Rangpur and true limes—it is probably a lemon x Mandarin orange hybrid. However, the Rangpur is highly acidic and can be used as a substitute for commercial limes. In the West, it is made into marmalade (it makes a superb marmalade, superior to the Seville, or sour, orange commonly used).

Looking at photos on the net I am inclined to think it is a Rangpur lime but not 100%. If so I'll be looking forward to more fruit to make some marmalade.

Anyway, I saved some seed from the limes and grew 3 small seedlings in pots. When we put in our citrus orchard last year, I finally got to plant out the 2 surviving plants.
Today I picked the first ripe lime from the tree. It was very juicy and had a definite sour lime flavour.

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