This little fruit packs a flavorful punch—discover great ways to use it in almost any dish
Best to buy
Choose firm, uniformly colored limes. Avoid fruit that is hard or that shows brown or white spots, which indicate age and mold.
Cut & clean
Wash under cold water and cut into segments or slices. Keep limes in the refrigerator for up to two weeks or at room temperature for up to one week.
Power food
Limes are an excellent source of vitamin C.
It’s in the zest
Use a microplane grater to zest a lime and use in punches, cakes, sauces, and more.
Varieties
Although limes can be either sweet or sour, the sour varieties are the ones generally available in North America. Among the varieties commonly found at the market are the California seedless, called Bearss; the acidic Persian variety, grown in Florida; and the small round Key lime, an acidic variety that grows in Mexico and Florida.
Preparation, uses, and tips
Limes can be used in almost every dish where lemons are called for, including soups, sauces, vinaigrettes, cakes and other desserts, sorbet, and as an addition to drinks, such as margaritas. Seviche, the raw seafood dish from Peru, uses lime juice as a marinade. Limes are a popular ingredient in the cuisines of Latin America, Thailand, and other Southeast Asian countries, as well as India, Africa, and the West Indies. Try using the discarded rind of juiced limes to clean copper-bottomed pots and pans.
Nutritional Highlights
Lime, 1 fruit (2-inch [5cm] diameter)
Calories: 20
Protein: 0.45g
Carbohydrate: 7.0g
Total Fat: 0.13g
Fiber: 1.88g
*Excellent source of: Vitamin C (19.5mg)
*Foods that are an “excellent source” of a particular nutrient provide 20% or more of the Recommended Daily Value. Foods that are a “good source” of a particular nutrient provide between 10 and 20% of the Recommended Daily Value.
Copyright 2007, Healthnotes, Inc., 1505 S.E. Gideon St., Suite 200, Portland, Oregon 97202, www.Healthnotes.com.
2006-09-07
