Content
- Lime or lemon - what differences are there?
- Sophisticated lime
- Various types of lime
- Mexican lime (Citrus aurantiifolia)
- Persian lime (Citrus latifolia)
- Kaffir lime (Citrus hystrix)
- Tips & Tricks
Lime or lemon - what differences are there?
The word "lime" literally means "little lime" and indicates the close relationship between the small limes and larger lemons. Until a few years ago, the terms "lime" and "lime" were used synonymously in Germany, which, however, led to confusion. Because "Limone" is in many other countries of the world the name for our "lemon", Latin way "Citrus limon".
Sophisticated lime
In German supermarkets you can usually find the small, green fruits of the Mexican lime (Citrus aurantiifolia). This is also called "Bartender Lime", because their juice is very often used in cocktails. In addition, however, there are a number of other lime varieties that are indispensable in Southeast Asian countries as well as in the Caribbean and the USA as a spice or juice in many dishes. In general, limes are more sensitive than lemons and can - unlike this - tolerate no winter temperatures. Therefore, the care of this tropical and subtropical plant is more complicated than that of other citrus species.
Various types of lime
Lemons usually stand out due to their bright yellow shell in the ripe state, in addition, the fist-sized berries are much larger than those of a lime. Also, lemons are shaped differently: Limes are usually round and have a smooth shell, while lemons have a rather oblong-oval shape and are rougher. There are various kinds of lime, some of which are little or not known in Germany. Some of the fruits may also take on a yellow to orange-yellow color. At this point, the three best-known varieties will be presented once.
Mexican lime (Citrus aurantiifolia)
The "Bartender Lime" grows as a small, highly branched and thorny bush with filigree branches. The flower buds are slightly violet in strong sunlight. The leaf is dull green and about the size of a tangerine leaf. The variety is very sensitive to cold and hard to bring in hibernation. The small fruits are very thin-skinned, juicy, light green to pale yellow and rich in seeds.
Persian lime (Citrus latifolia)
This variety is almost as robust as lemons and due to sterility of the ovules (ie the Persian lime can not be grown from seeds!) Almost always seedless. Persian lime carries many aromatic fruits every year and has a much shorter maturation period than lemons. The berries are harvested between March and December.
Kaffir lime (Citrus hystrix)
It is a tropical species, which is very suitable for the winter garden and for a greenhouse and also room culture. The shrub bears small, green-yellow to yellow -shelled fruits with a diameter of about six centimeters. These have a very wavy, wrinkled shell at maturity. The pulp is green.
Tips & Tricks
Especially in Thailand, the leaves of kaffir lime are used as spice, similar to our laurel leaves. Although they can be boiled (especially in casserole dishes), they can not be eaten with them.
IJA