Finger lime
Also Finger lime, sunrise lime (actually a CSIRO hybrid), lime caviar.
Latin name: Citrus australasica. This is a true member of the Citrus family, along with lemons, limes, oranges, etc.
Eating
- A true lime, but the juice is contained in small, intensely-flavour "bubbles" of liquid. The fun comes in popping between the teeth for an intense burst of flavour.
- The bubbles are best used fresh, in both sweet and savoury dishes.
- Excellent squeezed on to seafood, especially oysters and any sashimi
- Add to drinks and cocktails, especially gin and tonics, particular if it’s a local or native-flavour gin
• Top sweets, such as cheesecake, yoghurt, or fruit salads
• Mix into salads, either sprinkled on top of the leaves or added to dressings and mayonnaises
• Finish hot dishes just before serving, such as stir-fries or curries
The whole lime can be dried until completely hard and firm, and then used either whole or ground to add a rich, zingy, tangy flavour to a range of dishes.
Growing
This is a sub-tropical plant, naturally found along the coast of NSW and southern Qld. It grows in the ACT region with a certain care:
- Keep protected from frost, extreme winds, and direct summer sunlight for the first few years
• Keep up the water
• Use a native fertiliser
• Tip-prune if you want it kept to a certain size or shape. - It does well as a container plant, or planted directly against the side of the house - interestingly, not necessarily the north or western sides. Early morning sun is excellent.
It can grow into quite a tall tree even in the Canberra region – we regularly harvest from one tree in Watson that’s larger than the house.