OZ Finger Lime | Varieties (2024)

FAQs

What is the best tasting finger lime variety? ›

Red Champagne is the most popular variety of finger lime. With a mild and subtle taste, it's eating quality are quite versatile and it can also be eaten fresh. Cooler climate will bring more color to the fruit. The plant is of medium vigor and with a well developed dense canopy.

Water regularly after planting. Once established, water once or twice a week, or more during hot dry weather. Water thoroughly when flowering and fruiting, and top up the mulch as needed to help conserve soil moisture. Feed once every three months with a complete citrus fertiliser.

Rare and Exotic Citrus Trees: Australian Finger lime: Australian Finger limes while rare and exotic here in the US, grow wild in the subtropical coastal region of Australia.

Measuring about 2 to 3 inches long, finger limes resemble jalapeños or gherkins. In place of the pulpy flesh that's typical of other citrus, finger limes brim with juice-filled beads, or vesicles, that spill out when you slice or snap open the fruit. The beads have a fairly firm texture and burst when chewed.

Finger limes should be harvested when they are fully ripe, as they do not ripen further once they have been picked. Ripe fruit will feel firm to the touch, and detach easily from the tree. Some varieties will also change skin colour when ripe.

Most Valuable Fruit Series: The Aussie Finger Lime.

Supply and demand are at the heart of why growers are able to charge such high prices for lime fingers. These in-demand fruits are mostly grown commercially in the United States in California, which makes them in short supply, and thus an expensive fruit that's difficult to find in your regular grocery store.

Known as the sweet lime (as well as Indian sweet lime or Palestinian sweet lime), this cultivar can be easily mistaken for a lemon because of its yellow skin, but its sweetness sets it apart. It's also low in acidity, which accounts for the tartness of its citrus counterparts.

Finger limes can be grown from seed, cuttings or grafting. They are slow growing and if grown from seed may take up to 15 years to mature. It is important to use fresh seeds. Semi-hardwood cuttings, like seedlings, are slow to grow and have a low success rate.

Not enough water will result in the tiny fruit dropping and leaving you with no finger limes for summer! While the finger lime is a rain forest plant, we know they LOVE full sun. As long as you are regularly watering your finger lime, you should find it will respond well to a very sunny position.

What is another name for finger limes? ›

Citrus australasica, the Australian finger lime or caviar lime, is a thorny understorey shrub or small tree of lowland subtropical rainforest and rainforest in the coastal border region of Queensland and New South Wales, Australia.

“I make a native mocktail with finger lime pips and skin in it,” Winsor comments. “I use finger limes as a garnish over the top of cooked squid, and as the main ingredient in a citrus tart with finger limes and green ants. I also cook wild lime marmalade and use the whole fruit, including the skin.

The fruit emerges in autumn and is extremely unique looking with small bead-like pulp that resembles caviar, and has a light green, yellow or pink colour with a tangy citrus flavour.

Finger Limes come in a multitude of colours ranging from chartreuse-emerald to pink-red. The caviar-like pulp has an intense acidic lime flavour with bitter notes. This zesty little lime is popular, especially as a garnish with its unique bead-like pulp.

The Kaffir lime is one of the best lime trees around as you can use both the limes and the leaves! Kaffir lime leaves are common in fish curries and other, lighter Asian curries as well. They grow all over the region and are a really popular ingredient.