Lemons and Limes: The Topic

[Katie Meadow]

I'm going with the fluffy damp pith hypothesis. All I know is from experience. Lemons grow greenish gray mold and get softer. Limes just get hard as rocks when left to themselves. Very different.

[blue_dolphin]

I agree there's a good argument for the thicker lemon pith providing a better barrier to the acidic juice vs limes and the acid should inhibit mold growth.

Additionally, your average lime sold in groceries is picked when quite underripe.  Most limes will turn yellow when completely ripe. At that point, they will be more sweet, juicy and also more prone to damage. I have a  lime tree, generally let them hang on the tree until fully ripe and I feel like I've had some go moldy when I've picked big batches to give away but I usually just pick what I need so maybe I'm misremembering the mold situation. 

 

I'm attempting to make some dried limes (black limes, Omani limes, limoo Omani, etc.) using the recipe in The Food of Oman.  I think smaller limes like Mexican limes or Key limes tend to be used for this vs the bigger Persian or Bearss limes that I have on my tree. It's only been about a week but no mold, so far. I threw in a couple of lemons and they're not moldy either but we'll see. 

[lemniscate]

Regarding lemons (backyard tree):  I have only really experienced mold on stored lemons that were bruised/bounced/touched the ground.

I have found that untouched lemons with go soft, but not moldy.

Edited June 26, 2022 by lemniscate (log)

[Margaret Pilgrim]

Will never again leave Meyer lemons on the tree too long.    Last year, I went out to pick a few and found that (apparently) rats had stripped the peel off every ripe lemon.   Mr. Google confirmed that they do find the peel delicious, while leaving the completely peeled fruit hanging on the tree.   Of course we composted the molested fruit.    This year, I am watching like a hawk.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

2 hours ago, Margaret Pilgrim said:

Will never again leave Meyer lemons on the tree too long.    Last year, I went out to pick a few and found that (apparently) rats had stripped the peel off every ripe lemon.   Mr. Google confirmed that they do find the peel delicious, while leaving the completely peeled fruit hanging on the tree.   Of course we composted the molested fruit.    This year, I am watching like a hawk.

 

Some people go through a lot of work to peel a lemon.

 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

On 2/25/2007 at 11:55 AM, JAZ said:

In my old neighborhood, I got spoiled buying citrus -- I could almost always buy lemons at 5/$1 and limes for half that. The quality wasn't always the best, but even when they were a little old, they seemed to have lots of juice. Now, not only are lemons and limes really expensive, but I seem to be running into a depressing number of dried out fruit -- limes especially.

I wonder why that is, but more important, I wonder if there are reliable ways to predict which fruit will be the juiciest. From casual observation, it seems to me that the driest limes have had really dark, rough skin, but I don't know if this is an indicator, or merely a coincidence. It certainly doesn't seem to be the case that old limes are drier -- I've used limes (and lemons) with spots that are quite juicy. In fact, once in a while, I've cut into one that's actually started to turn brown inside -- I haven't used them, but they seem to still have plenty of juice left.

With lemons, it seems to be a different story. I rarely find lemons that are dried out in the same way as limes (oranges also seem to suffer from desiccation), but I have bought more than a few that have such thick skins that the actual fruit is tiny and thus produces very little juice. I try to get lemons that give a little with pressure, but then sometimes that backfires and I end up with a spoiled one.

So, essentially, I'm at a loss. Anyone have tried and true methods for estimating juice content for citrus fruit?

 

I avoid limes with dark rough skin like monkey pox or plague.  Nothing good shall ever come of them.  For juicy limes I look for smooth skin, but I don't worry much about the color (unless brown and scrofulous), as I aspire to have at least a dozen fruits ripening in my bedroom at one time.  And typically (like tonight) I purchase limes several times a week.

 

Lemons are my nemesis.  And any oranges I don't use up at once shall surely rot.

 

[weinoo]

Doesn't the old adage of a fruit should feel heavy in the hand for its size work for lemons and limes in terms of juiciness?

[heidih]

4 hours ago, weinoo said:

Doesn't the old adage of a fruit should feel heavy in the hand for its size work for lemons and limes in terms of juiciness?

 

Generally yes but in my experience they can be heavy when still greenish .Not so much a matter of ripeness affecting juiciness as the growing conditions Long off the tree and drying up- another story mostly with those limes that come up dry. I had a neighbor with a big lime at our fenceline. I could just reach over and pluck. She never used them - thought it was a lemon tree as they turn yellow when really ripe. They watered regularly so very juicy and fragrant. Her eyes got big and she laughed when I told her it was a lime and had her smell a cut one. Raised in the Philippines she did use the calamansi from her heavily fruited 2 trees.

[weinoo]

Thanks, @JoNorvelleWalker.

[Mjx]

Today I picked up a basket of what are described as 'snacking lemons':

 

 

 

They're 4 to 5 cm long, and meant to be eaten whole, peel and all. They were just DKK 20 (a little under USD 3), so I thought 'okay, I'm in!'

These smell amazing. I washed a couple, then ate one whole, and it was a bit of a struggle, because eating the peel felt and tasted strange, waxy-oily and so intensely lemony that it made me think of some sort of household cleaner, and I tried to not think about the fact that citrus oil is a major component of cleansers that are used to remove graffiti. When I finished it, I found myself wondering, 'what have I done???' My lips burned in a way that suggested contact with some sort of solvent. I drank a lot water. After a while, my lips stopped burning, and I was left with the strange sensation of drinking something carbonated, even though I was drinking plain tap water.

 

Once the effects of the first lemon faded, I sliced another, and incorporated it into a wrap. It wasn't terrible, but the assertive peel didn't add anything that thrilled me. The pulp is about as acidic as an ordinary lemon, which I liked in the wrap.

 

I haven't decided what to do with the rest of these: has anyone tried these, and if so, how did you use them?

 

 

[liuzhou]

12 minutes ago, Mjx said:

I haven't decided what to do with the rest of these: has anyone tried these, and if so, how did you use them?

 

 

 

I see these all the time in my local supermarket; have done for years.

I think I only bought them once - used them in garnishes that needed some citrus. Maybe on a drink.

No substitues for limes!

[heidih]

@Mjx @David Lebovitz linked his whole lemon bars in his newsletter today. Sounds good to me   https://www.davidlebovitz.com/whole-lemon-bars-recipe/

Edited March 1, 2023 by heidih (log)

[TicTac]

1 hour ago, Mjx said:

Today I picked up a basket of what are described as 'snacking lemons':

 

 

 

They're 4 to 5 cm long, and meant to be eaten whole, peel and all. They were just DKK 20 (a little under USD 3), so I thought 'okay, I'm in!'

These smell amazing. I washed a couple, then ate one whole, and it was a bit of a struggle, because eating the peel felt and tasted strange, waxy-oily and so intensely lemony that it made me think of some sort of household cleaner, and I tried to not think about the fact that citrus oil is a major component of cleansers that are used to remove graffiti. When I finished it, I found myself wondering, 'what have I done???' My lips burned in a way that suggested contact with some sort of solvent. I drank a lot water. After a while, my lips stopped burning, and I was left with the strange sensation of drinking something carbonated, even though I was drinking plain tap water.

 

Once the effects of the first lemon faded, I sliced another, and incorporated it into a wrap. It wasn't terrible, but the assertive peel didn't add anything that thrilled me. The pulp is about as acidic as an ordinary lemon, which I liked in the wrap.

 

I haven't decided what to do with the rest of these: has anyone tried these, and if so, how did you use them?

 

 

Given the peels are not treated, perhaps try a lemon marmalade type of concoction?

 

I cannot imagine eating a whole lemon, raw.  Gives me the heebies. 

 

 

[Anna N]

5 minutes ago, TicTac said:

 

Given the peels are not treated, perhaps try a lemon marmalade type of concoction?

 

I cannot imagine eating a whole lemon, raw.  Gives me the heebies. 

 

 

Strangely I would love to try this. I enjoy kumquats so I imagine I might enjoy these. 

[Kerry Beal]

Shaker Lemon pie. 

[Anna N]

12 minutes ago, Kerry Beal said:

Shaker Lemon pie. 

And didn't we have a ice cream/sorbet recipe that called for a whole lemon? Strawberry maybe? Genius recipe maybe?

[Kerry Beal]

15 minutes ago, Anna N said:

And didn't we have a ice cream/sorbet recipe that called for a whole lemon? Strawberry maybe? Genius recipe maybe?

Food 52 by way of River Cafe - for the thermomix

 

River Cafe's Strawberry Sorbet

 

Ice Creams and Sorbets, Thermomix

Difficulty: Easy Source: food 52 

 

INGREDIENTS

2-3 lemons 1 seeded and roughly chopped and the others juiced

2 cups sugar

2 pounds strawberries hulled

DIRECTIONS

Freeze berries.

Place the chopped lemon and sugar in TMX, and pulse until combined. 

Add frozen berries and process until done.

 

[Anna N]

I am thinking one could also make a nice jar of preserved lemons with these. 

[blue_dolphin]

This sounds interesting: Lemon Confit

[Anna N]

5 hours ago, blue_dolphin said:

This sounds interesting: Lemon Confit

That does sound pretty amazing.  

[haresfur]

Might be really good for North African preserved lemons

[DianaB]

Cedric Grolet gives a recipe for poached lemons that I have used as a part of his lemon dessert but also as an ingredient for numerous other citrus based concoctions.  L’académie de Goût is giving free access to the entire recipe at the moment (usually behind paywall).  It is in French but Google and similar do amazing translations these days.  I store my lemons in the freezer once confit so that I can use them as and when.  Well worth the effort, as is the entire dessert if you have time to make it.

https://www.academiedugout.fr/recettes/citron-jaune_11703_2

 

[blue_dolphin]

5 hours ago, Anna N said:

That does sound pretty amazing.  

Yes, it does. There is a recipe for lemon confit in Taste & Technique and I made some yesterday before coming upon this more interesting one. I have a pile of 25 cent lemons from the farmers market on hand but am at now risk of investing 25 dollars worth of olive oil in the cause of using them up!

[KennethT]

11 hours ago, blue_dolphin said:

This sounds interesting: Lemon Confit

Eric Ripert had a recipe for lemon confit in his book, A Return to Cooking.  After reading it, I kept a jar of it in my cupboard for years - they were great to have on hand.  I don't really do the kind of cooking that would benefit from it anymore, but if I did, I would definitely keep these around again.

[Anna N]

5 minutes ago, blue_dolphin said:

Yes, it does. There is a recipe for lemon confit in Taste & Technique and I made some yesterday before coming upon this more interesting one. I have a pile of 25 cent lemons from the farmers market on hand but am at now risk of investing 25 dollars worth of olive oil in the cause of using them up!

Looking at the amount of olive oil called for for  six lemons my mind wanders to the sous vide method of confit duck which requires so much less Duckfat than the conventional method. Hmmmmm.