For approximately one week in the entire year, we have a supply of limes in the market. More preciously, they are called lemon-limes, some being more similar to lemons, others closer to limes.
As a lover of both thai and mexican food, cuisines which have an integral use for limes, a limited supply is pretty heart-wrenching. Concentrated lime acid in a plastic bottle simply isn’t the same.
Last week, to my surprise, lime week was on, and in a frantic scurry, I filled several plastic bags with limes, or lemon-limes. Once I got home, I needed to find a solution for my sudden surge in lime supply. In an attempt to preserve the fresh juice for future use, I squeezed the juice of the limes, over a strainer, into a jug.
Once completed, I filled an ice-cube tray with all the lime juice. Half of Israel’s lime supply is now sitting in my freezer. Once frozen, I will place the cubes in a plastic bag and return to the freezer. Whenever in need of lime juice, I will grab a cube and defrost in a cup. Yey cerviche! Yey thai green curry! Yey margaritas!
I may complain about this country’s limited supply of limes. But at least I know that the produce I eat is largely grown in the country I live in, and with that, my dinner has taken far less carbon foot prints compared to the meals I had in the UK, with its foreign limes and exotic produce.
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3 Responses to Israel’s Week of Limes
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Who is the Dining Minx?
DM is the alter ego of Natalie Shaer. London-born, lived in several continents and finally made it back to the UK, I attempt to make sense of life through cooking, eating and writing ...read more
Liked the article.
last year I bought 6 kilo’s of limes in the shuk and had to baby them so they lasted thru the winter.
I froze a bunch whole in the fridge, which was not that great, but….
I use them for lots of dishes & drinks. I love limes, I guess because i used to live in Brasil.
I’ll try your ice cube method this summer.
Avi
Wait, what?! Is lime week happening NOW?! I’m hoping I don’t miss it… I read somewhere that limes are available in Israel during the winter months, but I remember only ever seeing them in the supermarket ONCE, and have no idea when it was, as I had just started shopping for myself and, foolishly, presumed that they’d be there year-round. It is, after all, a climate in which all citrus fruits SHOULD be readily available.
I just stole two green citrus fruits from my neighbors’ tree, as mine has not yet even flowered. I hope they’re limes, and not just unripe lemons.
BTW, if you have access to my email address (you should, as I had to enter it to comment), I’d love to hear from you to know exactly where you found your limes. I’m living south of Tel Aviv and dearly miss *real* Mexican margaritas!