Post #120955 by Kono on Thu, Oct 21, 2004 7:20 PM

I've been doing some googling on the subject of limes. This is probably info that isn't new to Gigantalope but it was new to me.

Apparently, limes are yellow when they're ripe, and a little sweeter than when they're green. This holds true for both Persian (Tahitian) limes and Key limes. The tradition of picking them green (and under ripe) is because a green lime has a longer shelf life before going rotten versus a ripe lime. I also read that the US and Europe prefer the green limes but other parts of the world prefer the ripe yellow lime. I'd love to try some ripe limes but that might be difficult as lime growers pick them green and as Giga pointed out, they don't continue to ripen after being picked. Since I live in Florida maybe I can find someone with a lime tree in their backyard.

Gigantalope: regarding your comments on all of the past plethora of citrus species being genetically manipulated into a few marketable strains...what about all of these citrus trees that are growing in people's back yards? I know many people who have citrus trees (usually grapefruit and orange) that have wide variations from tree to tree. This grapefruit tree is lighter and tarter, this one is pinker and sweeter, this orange tree has fruit with navels, this one not, this one has tangelo etc. Maybe the evolution of citrus is still taking place in the back yards of Florida and California and points south??