Bingil Bay Orchard | Limes on Line | Fresh Limes | Specialising in Tahitian Limes and home made preserves

FAQ’S

• When are limes in season?

Tahitian limes are in season all year round but generally from December through to July they are the most prolific. This is the time of year to use lots of limes in your refreshing drinks and yummy salads, as the price drops due to large volumes in the market. In the cooler months the trees slow down and as the fruit becomes scarcer the price rises.

• How do I get the most juice out of a lime?

The lime needs to be a little soft. A piece of fruit fresh from the tree is not easy to squeeze. If you have fresh limes roll them on the kitchen bench first to soften them. Some people put them in the microwave but I don’t recommend this technique. (Messy if it goes wrong)

Apart from their unique taste they have no seeds. The skin naturally contains pectin so if you want to make marmalades just soak the skin in water without adding seeds in a muslin bag. If you’re not sure it will work you can use the seeds of a lemon. As the Tahitian Limes are bigger than West Indian limes they tend to be juicer. If the limes turn yellow they can still be used but the juice will be a little sweeter. Remember lime juice can be used as a meat tenderiser. Try it on lamb chops. Yum

Limes can be used in everything lemons are used for and a whole lot more, for example dressings, desserts, sauces, toppings and of course they really come into their own in Asian recipes. Let’s not forget the cocktails, or a squeeze of juice in your drinking water. This is great for your digestive system after a big meal.

Limes need to be refrigerated to make them last. As refrigerators have a drying effect they will tend to dry our after a week or two. If you want to buy up big when the price is low, juice them and put into ice cube trays and store in the freezer in a seal lock bag. Then pull out a cube as you need it. The juice can be stored for up to twelve months frozen so if you are really serious freeze it in bottles and thaw them out as required.

Our limes are picked every week through the peak time (Dec to July) and every fortnight in the off-season (August to November). The Tropical North experiences two seasons a year, The Dry and the Wet or Green season. The average annual rainfall for Bingil Bay is over 3500mm a year with some years soaking up 5metres. This attributes to the lush surroundings and vigorous growth of the lime trees. Pruning takes place in February and March each year.

We generally work on 4 times a year but 3 would probably be sufficient. In Nth Qld we have a lot of rain so the trees need a bit more to meet their needs.

If the lime juice is reconstituted it is more than likely imported from the USA and re hydrated in Australia. This means you are not getting the good stuff from growers in Australia. This is how manufacturers can offer it to you so cheaply on the supermarket shelf. It is also likely to be from West Indian limes not Tahitian.