Lime is the name of the so called green lemon, but it is not a lemon. There are several species that are often associated with normal yellow lemon, but between the two there is a difference in appearance and taste, growing and where they grow. Lime is lemon-shaped, but has a thin green rind and juicy, pale green flesh. It usually grows best in areas with tropical and subtropical climates. The similarity between lemon and lime is quite large, with the difference that the small green citrus proves much more useful than its large yellow cousin.
Lime fruit is widespread in tropical and subtropical areas. It is native to Malaysia, and its family of origin is Rutaceae.
Composition of lime
Lime contains significant quantities of iron (about 2%), phosphorus, potassium (2%), Calcium (2%), magnesium and essential oils. Lime is a source of pectin and vitamins D, A and C - very good for the health of blood vessels.
Types of Lime
The most common type is the Persian lime, also known as the "Florida" (variety Citrus × latifolia), which has large fruit, thin skin and almost no seeds. The market often has green lemons from a variety of small, yellowish limes (Citrus aurantifolia). Other types of lime are mandarin lime (Citrus limonia), Citrus hystrix, several Australian limes, Spanish lime (Melicoccus bijugatus), wild lime (Adelia ricinella), sweet lime (Citrus limetta), Palestinian sweet lime (Citrus limettioides), and musk lime (X Citrofortunella mitis).
Selection and storage of lime
Fresh lime must be highly acidic and astringent, and look to have a shiny crust, which guarantees its lush insider. When choosing lime, beware - it should have a bright color and smooth skin. Avoid citrus fruits with wrinkled skin. If you want to make sure that the fruit is juicy and meaty put it on a scale - it should surprise you with its weight, considering its small size.
On the surface of lime there may be tiny brown areas that do not affect the flavor.
Note that lime is perishable and is best not to purchase large quantities of the fruit. The best way to store lime is holding it in a plastic bag in the refrigerator up to a maximum 10 days. If you cut the fruit, it can stay and look fresh for up to two days.
Lime in cooking
Lime finds pretty good use in cooking and preparing various alcoholic and non-alcoholic cocktails. Best is to use lime juice with the addition of fruit juice or as a part of the decoration of cocktails. One of the most popular drinks – mojitos, can not do without the addition of lime.
The flavor of lime is suitable for flavoring fish, seafood and delicacies. This small, green citrus is perfect for dressings and different marinades, giving them a specific, palatable taste. Dressing with lime juice is perfect for flavoring vegetables, even fruit salads. If Lime juice is piured on cut fruit - apples, bananas and white vegetables, it can prevent them from losing their natural color.
Because lime is a small fruit, it contains a large amount of juice. Itis a prerequisite in cooking to use the skin and leaves of this citrus. In the Arab world, there is a widespread practice boiling lime in salted water, then drying it in the sun. This way, a special Arab spice called Lumina is made, ideal for flavoring beans and rice.
Lime is strongly embedded in the national cuisines of the countries of Southeast Asia and Latin America, especially in Thailand and Mexico. In addition to flavoring seafood, Mexican lime juice is used to impart a specific taste to meat, especially chicken. Besides, it makes the meat more tender and lime juice even blends well with spicy paprika. In Thailand, one of the varieties of lime is a key ingredient of the sour-spicy tom yam soup. Guacamole, which is one of the most common sauces cannot be prepared without lime.
Benefits of lime
Lime is an extremely useful nutritional and dietary fruit. It contains no fat, sodium and cholesterol, which actually allows its consumption in unlimited quantities without risk to your health. Moreover Lime contains very few calories - one medium size fruit of about 60-70 grams has only 20 calories. The benefits of lime are connected with the fact that it is an excellent source of fiber. If you want to secure the necessary doses of vitamin C, select this green citrus. Its high content of vitamin C (about 35%) favors normalization of cholesterol in the blood.
This automatically makes it a valuable and useful fruit that helps the heart and cardiovascular system as a whole. Lime contains scorbic acid and increases the resistibility of the organism to infections. It also helps the production of collagen, which is important for maintaining the skin’s elasticity.