How to choose the perfect lime

A lime is definitey one of the power houses to bring out the flavor of food! It can really brighten up your dish! Limes are in their peak season from May thru August! It is the perfect time to make many dishes and drinks. Limeades being amongst my favorite! Limes are an excellent source of vitamin C, Vitamin C is one of the main antioxidants found in food and the primary water-soluble antioxidant in the body.

So here is the quick and easy way on how I choose a lime. Please choose a lime that has no brown spots and is a rich dark green in color. You will want to look at the lime and make sure that the majority of the lime is glossy and smooth and not pitted. There will be some pit marks and texture near the ends but on the majority you want your lime to be smooth and a rich color.

Choose limes that are firm and heavy for their size, free of decay and mold. They should have a glossy skin that is deep green in color; although limes turn more yellow as they ripen, they are at the height of their lively, tart flavor when they are green in color. While brown spots on the skin of limes may not affect their color, limes that are mostly brownish in color should be avoided since this may be an indication that they have "scald" which may cause them to have an undesirable moldy taste.

Storing of limes - Choose limes that are firm and heavy for their size, free of decay and mold. They should have a glossy skin that is deep green in color; although limes turn more yellow as they ripen, they are at the height of their lively, tart flavor when they are green in color. While brown spots on the skin of limes may not affect their color, limes that are mostly brownish in color should be avoided since this may be an indication that they have "scald" which may cause them to have an undesirable moldy taste.

USING
Before cutting the lemon or lime in half horizontally through the center, wash the skin so that any dirt or bacteria residing on the surface will not be transferred to the fruit's interior. While you could remove any visible seeds before juicing the halves, you could also wait until after the process is complete, since there are bound to be some seeds that reside deeper and are not visible from the surface. The juice can then be extracted in a variety of ways. You can either use a juicer, reamer or do it the old fashioned way, squeezing by hand.