Lime Shortage Affects Cocktail Bars, Restaurants...and You

[Hassouni]

It seems we're back to shitty limes again. There doesn't seem to be a shortage or a price inflation, but the quality SUCKS! Hard, dry, crap. What the hell is going on??

[cdh]

Drought in lime-growing regions in North America?

[andiesenji]

Last week I bought limes at Vallarta Supermarket on the Wednesday special, 3 pounds for a dollar regular price 2 pounds for a dollar.

Nice  big juicy limes so if you are in the SoCal area, look for a Vallarta Market near you. 

They have some great deals on produce - go on Wednesdays, pick up a flyer on your way into the store and check the specials for that day.

 

 

Warning!!   Stay away from the prepared food counter - or be prepared to spend a lot of money.

Edited May 28, 2015 by andiesenji (log)

[JoNorvelleWalker]

It seems we're back to shitty limes again. There doesn't seem to be a shortage or a price inflation, but the quality SUCKS! Hard, dry, crap. What the hell is going on??

 

Same here, unfortunately.  But it feels so good to smash them in the Hamilton Beach, doesn't it?

 

 

Edit:  I particularly enjoy the death sounds.

Edited May 28, 2015 by JoNorvelleWalker (log)

[Thanks for the Crepes]

I too recently got a couple limes that were small, mealy and so dry I couldn't get but a few drops of juice out of the first one I tried. After I cut the second in half and found it in the same condition, I threw it out and used the last lime from the bottom of the produce drawer that was so old it had turned yellow on the outside, but it had plenty of juice for my Coronas.

 

This drought in our major agricultural areas could potentially have a horrible impact on all of us who eat. It won't be just a few almond and cattle farmers going bankrupt or forgoing limes in your cocktail. I really, really hope we get some rain out there soon.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

This weekend there were no limes to be had* at any price.  Fortunately I've learned to stockpile a three or four day supply at home.

 

*Not quite true, there were bags of key limes, which in addition to being expensive were well past their prime.

[Lisa Shock]

I believe what's happening is that we shift from North American grown limes to South American limes in late springtime. Growers can keep citrus on trees, it doesn't over-ripen, for harvest later but, there's a limit to how efficient that strategy can be. There are also tricks to force trees to blossom earlier and thus produce fruit earlier, but, it doesn't result in a year-round strategy.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

Here they always claim the limes are product of the USA.  Possibly they are just too lazy to change the signage.

 

I don't complain as long as they have nice limes for sale at a reasonable price.

[weinoo]

I'm still seeing them at 3 for $1 in my local supermarket. Not bad ones, either.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

The price in the store here was 10 for $1.  It's just that there were none for sale.

[weinoo]

 

This afternoon. Fine Fare.  Clinton St.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

The price in the store here was 10 for $1.  It's just that there were none for sale.

 

I misspoke:  the limes they didn't have were 10 for $1.99.

[lindag]

My nearby Walmart had no individual limes OR lemons, only those in bags.  I got suckered in and bought one of each just in case.  I simply cannot be without citrus this time of year!

Edited July 8, 2015 by lindag (log)

[JoNorvelleWalker]

No limes.  None.  Produce manager says he can't get limes.

 

...waiting for the picture from @Panaderia Canadiense

[gulfporter]

Bought some yesterday at local grocery store (Winn Dixie); they were from Mexico and were 37 cents each.  

[kayb]

Four for a buck at Kroger yesterday. They appeared to have a gracious plenty. They had bags of big, juicy lemons, six in a bag, for $1.99.

 

[MelissaH]

Wegmans in Syracuse had them yesterday, $4 for a 2 lb bag, which is the pretty normal rate around here.

[blue_dolphin]

Still plenty of limes on my tree.  They are turning yellow but still nice and juicy.  

Free.  Bring your own bag.

 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

Thanks to the kindness of a friend with transportation I made it to a market that actually had limes.  Not many.  Small scrofulous limes that were three for two dollars.  I left them where they lay.

 

Nonetheless I stocked up on protein and produce of which ordinarily I can only dream.

 

[Panaderia Canadiense]

On 9 April, 2016 at 0:56 AM, JoNorvelleWalker said:

No limes.  None.  Produce manager says he can't get limes.

 

...waiting for the picture from @Panaderia Canadiense

 

This is my lime tree.  I can't harvest the fresh ones fast enough.  They're huge, and they're juicy, and they're free.

 

At the mercado right now they're 50/$1.00 - not shortage pricing by any stretch.

Edited April 13, 2016 by Panaderia Canadiense
remove a questionable ? image placeholder. (log)

[Thanks for the Crepes]

Such bounty in sky high Ambato! As I recall from childhood in southern California, those lime blossoms smell like the perfume of heaven too.

 

We rarely run out of limes in my location, but I never see them for less than 5/$1.00, and they usually are 2/$1.00, sometimes more expensive. I've run across some dry ones occasionally with no juice too. I like to let them ripen some in the crisper drawer where they will stay good for up to a month at times. When they start turning yellow is when what I can get become their juiciest.

[Panaderia Canadiense]

I harvested today. The smallest lime in the basket is about the size of a racquetball, and they're super juicy too.

 

Hot Bourbon toddies, here I come!

[JoNorvelleWalker]

Having no context for the diameter of a racquetball I had to google:  57 mm...unless you are referencing an Imperial racketball -- but that's like calling out for an Australian tablespoon.

 

Today the local store had limes.  Oddly they were the largest lime-like fruits I have ever seen.  I bought six.  All were larger than 65x75 mm (since I have the tools to measure).

 

But they were 3 for $1.99.

[Panaderia Canadiense]

15 hours ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

Having no context for the diameter of a racquetball I had to google:  57 mm...unless you are referencing an Imperial racketball -- but that's like calling out for an Australian tablespoon.

 

Today the local store had limes.  Oddly they were the largest lime-like fruits I have ever seen.  I bought six.  All were larger than 65x75 mm (since I have the tools to measure).

 

But they were 3 for $1.99.

 

I'm Ecuadorian.  Metric was originally measured here....  60cm is about the diameter of my smallest limes this harvest (unless you count the 300 or so I thinned off the tree so I wouldn't be looking at tiny little 20cm fruits that aren't nearly as juicy).

[choux]

Anyone else noticing a shortage? No limes at Costco for the past month, and I got a lemon in my pho. Any explinations out there? I haven't checked the grocery store lately to see the stocks there.