What do I do with so many limes?

[Nancy in Pátzcuaro]

Having had an overabundance of limes myself, here's what I did with the ones I didn't give away--

Frozen lime juice (use an ice cube tray for this, along with containers of different sizes), frozen lime zest, lime pickle, preserved limes, candied lime slices, limoncello. Obviously some of these are not going to work for you, but freezing the juice and zest and making preserved limes would be an excellent use of your excess, and a jar of preserved limes makes a nice present. However, you're going to have to solve the problem repeatedly, it sounds like, when the next crop matures. Good luck--it's a nice problem to have, isn't it?

 

Nancy in Pátzcuaro

[KennethT]

Nancy, it's definitely a nice problem to have...

 

OK - 2 limes down!  Making a batch of pickled red onion... the nice thing about limes straight off the tree - I got about 1/4 cup of juice from each lime!

[Lisa Shock]

Look around on social media. I belong to a local FaceBook group of backyard gardeners who meet twice a month or so and trade produce to each other. Basically, it's free, everyone just brings some stuff and takes some stuff.

[KennethT]

That's a great idea, especially for spring and summer round here.... Right now, here in NYC, all I could get are root veggies if anything.

[natasha1270]

Sopa de Lima will use a couple of limes. You can use them to make mayonnaise, marinades & dressings like Lisa suggested.

 

If all else fails, I have read that you can freeze them whole and just defrost and juice as you need them.

[LindaK]

Lime is my citrus juice of choice for ceviches and salsas. Lots of room for creativity there.

 

It's also pretty standard to add a squeeze of lime to Mexican soups, and the few Asian soups (Vietnamese and Cambodian) I know about.

 

if you decide to make something to gift, lime marmalade and lime curd are delicious.

[sartoric]

I'd be tempted to make a lime limoncello, from memory it takes several weeks to mature. Hopefully, you're not off the booze for ever. Try it sprinkled over vanilla ice cream.

 

Lucky you, limes are very expensive here, $15 per kilo, and I'm lucky to get more than 2 tablespoons of juice.

[Thanks for the Crepes]

KennethT,

 

I don't know if you love Mexican food as much as I do, but all the more authentic Mexican and Latin American restaurants around here serve limes plated with tacos, carne asada, seafood and other dishes, or they are offered on a salsa bar.

 

If too many perfectly fresh, juicy limes are your worst problem, you are a very lucky person. 

[Lisa Shock]

10 hours ago, KennethT said:

That's a great idea, especially for spring and summer round here.... Right now, here in NYC, all I could get are root veggies if anything.

 

Some of my group members have chickens, so I get eggs there. I also get homemade soaps and lotions. The group keeps a community seed box, and, some members also offer plant 'starts' -babies from seed. And, of course, anyone with indoor herbs and other plants brings those year round.

[Nancy in Pátzcuaro]

My recipe for limoncello requires about a week or so, not several weeks. Peels spend four days in the vodka, simple syrup is stirred in, another day to mellow, drain, bottle, refrigerate, and begin to enjoy in 4 or 5 days. The recipe says it lasts a month in the fridge, but I find it stays good for longer. Everything takes place at room temperature until it's bottled.

 

Enjoy--

 

Nancy in Pátzcuaro

[blue_dolphin]

19 hours ago, Nancy in Pátzcuaro said:

Having had an overabundance of limes myself, here's what I did with the ones I didn't give away--

Frozen lime juice (use an ice cube tray for this, along with containers of different sizes), frozen lime zest, lime pickle, ...

 

@Nancy in Pátzcuaro, do you have a recipe for lime pickle that you like? 

[heidih]

Playing around today this recipe ofr clams or mussels with lime butter sauce popped up.  Lime butter with fish, with vegetables, pasta.......

 

http://food52.com/recipes/32797-clams-or-mussels-with-lime-butter-sauce

Edited January 10, 2016 by heidih
typo (log)

[andiesenji]

There is a recipe for Lime Curd made with Truvia (much less sugar) that uses 2 cups of lime juice and the zest - makes 4 pints, as I recall and is refrigerated for up to 6 months, unless you do the water bath canning routine.

 

I thought I had it in my computer but haven't been able to locate it  but will do an internet search for it.

 

I made it a couple of years ago (when there were some great coupons for Truvia) and gave it as gifts in half-pint jars. Everyone raved about it.

 

 

[blue_dolphin]

13 hours ago, andiesenji said:

There is a recipe for Lime Curd made with Truvia

 

@andiesenji, if you happen to track down this recipe, I would be very interested.  I found a couple of lemon curd recipes with Truvia (that keeps getting autocorrected to "Trivia" ) on-line but they were much smaller volume (1/4 cup juice, etc.)    I suppose I could try to scale one of them up, but it would be great to have your recommendation.

[andiesenji]

1 hour ago, blue_dolphin said:

 

@andiesenji, if you happen to track down this recipe, I would be very interested.  I found a couple of lemon curd recipes with Truvia (that keeps getting autocorrected to "Trivia" ) on-line but they were much smaller volume (1/4 cup juice, etc.)    I suppose I could try to scale one of them up, but it would be great to have your recommendation.

Haven't found it yet.

It was on a blog about CANNING, not a regular recipe site.  It interested me because she (or he) used a big electric roaster for the water bath canning, as I have done many times - you can fit a lot of jars into one of the big old roasters. 

[blue_dolphin]

Thank you, @andiesenji!  I will look, too.  In the meantime, maybe I will make up a batch with sugar.  All that searching through lime curd recipes and the delicious looking photos associated with them has my mouth watering for some!

[andiesenji]

I found it.  I had TITLED IT WRONG! Misspelled lime.  When I did a search for "canning citrus"  it popped right up.

 

 

LEMON OR LIME CURD

2 cups  sugar  superfine Substitute Truvia at the recommended amount for sugar free or the Truvia/sugar baking blend for Low sugar

1/2 cup loosely packed  zest

1 cup lemon or lime juice

3/4 cup unsalted butter

7 large egg yolks

4 whole eggs

 

TRUVIA INFO:  https://www.truvia.com/products/baking-blend

 

*Original recipe multiplied by 2

*Recipe rounded to nearest cooking fraction

 

4 cups sugar  superfine

1 cup loosely pack zest

2 cups lemon or lime juice 

1 1/2 cup unsalted butter 

14 large egg yolks 

8 whole eggs 

 

*Original recipe multiplied by 4

*Recipe rounded to nearest cooking fraction

 

8 cups sugar  superfine

2 cups loosely packed zest

4 cups lemon or lime juice 

3 cups unsalted butter 

28 large egg yolks 

16 whole eggs 

 

Lynn says:  I use an old Nesco roaster 21 quart - that belonged to my grandmother which has a wire rack that will hold 12 pint jars or  24 half pint jars using the flat rack between the two layers of jars.

You can find information about the Nesco roasters at this site:  http://archive.lib.msu.edu/DMC/sliker/msuspcsbs_nese_nationalen4/msuspcsbs_nese_nationalen4.pdf

Scroll down to page 25 for the “CANNING RULES”  

You can usually find these on eBay or etsy at reasonable prices.  Be sure and get the 21 quart or larger.

They were also made by Westinghouse and GE and the sizes are about the same.  

 

Special Equipment Needed: zester, balloon whisk, 1½ quart double boiler*** (the top double boiler pan should be at least 1½-quart volume for small batch- use larger stainless bowl for bigger batches), strainer, kitchen thermometer measuring at least up to 180°F, glass or stainless steel medium mixing bowl, silicone spatula or cooking spoon, and equipment for boiling water canning.

 

Yield: About 3 to 4 half-pint jars for small batch - 7 to 8 half pints for medium batch,   8 PINTS for large batch.

Please read Using Boiling Water Canners before beginning. If this is your first time canning, it is recommended that you read Principles of Home Canning. 

Procedure:

	1.	Wash 4 half-pint canning jars with warm, soapy water. Rinse well; keep hot until ready to fill. Prepare canning lids according to manufacturer's directions.
	2.	Fill boiling water canner with enough water to cover the filled jars by 1 to 2 inches. Use a thermometer to preheat the water to 180°F by the time filled jars are ready to be added.   Caution: Do not heat the water in the canner to more than 180°F before jars are added. If the water in the canner is too hot when jars are added, the process time will not be long enough. The time it takes for the canner to reach boiling after the jars are added is expected to be 25 to 30 minutes for this product. Process time starts after the water in the canner comes to a full boil over the tops of the jars.
	3.	Combine the sugar and lemon zest in a small bowl, stir to mix, and set aside about 30 minutes. Pre-measure the lemon juice and prepare the chilled butter pieces.
	4.	Heat water in the bottom pan of the double boiler until it boils gently. The water should not boil vigorously or touch the bottom of the top double boiler pan or bowl in which the curd is to be cooked. Steam produced will be sufficient for the cooking process to occur.
	5.	In the top of the double boiler, on the counter top or table, whisk the egg yolks and whole eggs together until thoroughly mixed. Slowly whisk in the sugar and zest, blending until well mixed and smooth. Blend in the lemon juice and then add the butter pieces to the mixture.
	6.	Place the top of the double boiler over boiling water in the bottom pan. Stir gently but continuously with a silicone spatula or cooking spoon, to prevent the mixture from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Continue cooking until the mixture reaches a temperature of 170°F. Use a food thermometer to monitor the temperature.
	7.	Remove the double boiler pan from the stove and place on a protected surface, such as a dish cloth or towel on the counter top. Continue to stir gently until the curd thickens (about 5 minutes). Strain curd through a mesh strainer into a glass or stainless steel bowl; discard collected zest.
	8.	Fill hot strained curd into the clean, hot half-pint jars, leaving ½-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace if needed. Wipe rims of jars with a dampened, clean paper towel; apply two-piece metal canning lids.
	9.	Process in the prepared boiling water canner according to the recommendations in Table 1. Let cool, undisturbed, for 12 to 24 hours and check for seals.

Table 1. Recommended process time for Canned Lemon Curd in a boiling-water canner.
		Process Time at Altitudes of
Style of Pack	Jar Size	0 - 1,000 ft	1,001 - 6,000 ft	Above 6,000 ft
Hot	Half-pints	15 min	20	25

 

 

Shelf Life: For best quality, store in a cool, dark place (away from light). Plan to use canned lemon curd within 3 to 4 months. Browning and/or separation may occur with longer storage; discard any time these changes are observed. 

Prepared lime curd can also be frozen instead of canned for up to 1 year without quality changes when thawed. Package in freezer containers after straining and cooling to room temperature. To thaw, place container in a refrigerator at 40°F or lower for 24 hours before intended use. After thawing, consume within 4 weeks. (See Freezer Lemon Curd, http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/publications/nchfp/factsheets/freezer_lemoncurd.pdf)   Use same process for lime curd.

Preparation Notes:

* If superfine sugar is not available, run granulated sugar through a grinder or food processor for 1 minute, let settle, and use in place of superfine sugar. Do not use powdered sugar. 

** If a double boiler is not available, a substitute can be made with a large bowl or saucepan that can fit partway down into a saucepan of a smaller diameter. If the bottom pan has a larger diameter, the top bowl or pan should have a handle(s) that can rest on the rim of the lower pan. 

For more detailed information on boiling water canning, see "Using Boiling Water Canners" at http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/publications/uga/using_bw_canners.html 

Developed at The University of Georgia, Athens, for the National Center for Home Food Preservation. Released by Elizabeth L. Andress, Ph.D., Department of Foods and Nutrition, College of Family and Consumer Sciences. December 2004. 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 12, 2016 by andiesenji (log)

[blue_dolphin]

Thank you so much @andiesenji!  Quite a number of the citrus curd recipes I found online had comments asking about using a sugar substitute but I didn't find any confirmed recommendations so this is wonderful to have.  Thank you for taking the time to search!

[Jaymes]

On ‎1‎/‎9‎/‎2016 at 4:14 PM, natasha1270 said:

If all else fails, I have read that you can freeze them whole and just defrost and juice as you need them.

 

Which is exactly what I recommended on that other, identical, "What do I do with so many limes?" thread. 

 

Thought about reposting the same exact suggestion here as others have done, but seemed silly and a waste of space. 

Edited January 13, 2016 by Jaymes (log)