Finger limes – tasty bush tucker

With fruits bursting with tiny pockets of limey goodness that look like caviar, finger limes are uniquely Australian and native to the coastal rainforests of south east Queensland and northern NSW. 

Our four year old finger lime shrub had a bumper crop this year, and has been dripping with the small, elongated fruits.

Finger limes can be used in similar ways to other limes, and are said to be good in jams and sauces and as an accompaniment to seafood. We’re just starting to experiment with using our finger limes, and made a nice banana and lime cake with them the other day. A friend of ours enjoys eating them fresh, though they’re a bit too tart for us that way! There are some good suggestions of how to use them at: 

• http://www.fingerlime.com/
• http://secondhelping.com.au/feastonthis/the-cookbook-challenge-week-20-tangy/
• http://www.notquitenigella.com/2010/06/17/finger-lime-caviar-butter/

 Have you ever tried finger limes? We'd love to hear any suggestions about how to use them! If you're interested in growing finger lime, check out our finger lime profile. 

Comments

[Helen]

I love finger limes! I adore them in salads, I describe them as vegan caviar :)

[Shane]

never heard of 'em !

[Africanaussie]

I did taste some once, very tasty. I have a lime tree in a pot - I wonder if a finger lime would grow in a pot?

[Jason Dingley]

I am very interested. Would they grow in temperate climate?

[Alison]

I do love finger limes, and buy them frozen from a bushfood farm and factory down the road. I have blitzed them up and made a lime delicious pudding. But I am going to try planting one of my own as soon as we settle into our own patch of earth again.

[serendipity2000]

I'm growing two grafted finger limes: one in the ground and one in a large pot. Grafted finger limes fruit earlier than those grown from seed. I've made amazing FL jam with some so far but always on the lookout for other exciting recipes. Sydney is a temperate climate but their natural growing area is the Qld and northern NSW coast and as they're a rainforest species would prefer a similar climate/environment although I have seen them growing quite successfully in open areas in north western Sydney.

[Emma]

Finger limes are great as part of a dressing for carpaccio, which is traditionally done with very fine slices of raw or cured beef, but is also great with sliced raw or smoked fish, smoked tofu or even zucchini or fennel slices. Make the dressing from soy sauce, sesame oil, minced garlic, minced ginger, minced chili and finely chopped coriander - plus finger lime caviar. Sensational!!!

We also like finger lime in gin and tonic...

[votedwithourforks]

I added finger limes to regular limes to make my favourite marmalade. That marmalade was made with finger limes from the farmers market, but now I have my own growing. Can't wait till it starts fruiting.