AUSTRALIAN FINGER LIME
CITRUS AUSTRALASICA. Family: RUTACEAE Other names include caviar lime.
A type of lime that actually contains little bubbles of lime "caviar".... If you haven't heard of this citrus, you probably think it's fake. Well, it isn't - and it's a remarkable fruit.
Finger limes, a native citrus species, are found growing naturally amongst most tropical and subtropical regions across Queensland and New South Wales. Due to the fantastically citrus flavor of the caviar like fruits, they’re a very popular choice for professional chefs and home cooks. However, these larger growing trees also offer some dense and beautiful foliage.
Each fruit produces lots of little caviar looking pods which can be enjoyed fresh, as a topping on a meal or as part of a desert. However, not every finger lime fruit looks and tastes the same. The little pods may range in color from very light yellow, green and pink.
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There are a few main varieties of the finger lime.
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Citrus australasica ‘Pink Ice’
This gorgeous cultivar was one of the first commercialized varieties of finger lime. It is a medium-sized shrub that produces red to burgundy-colored fruits with clear to pink pearls of plump juices inside.
Finger lime fruit smell very similar to ruby grapefruit so they make for excellent additions to cocktails, drinks and many culinary dishes in the kitchen. Perfect for container growing in warm courtyards, this smaller-growing variety reaches about 4 to 6 meters in height with a spread of around 1.5 to 2 meters.
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Citrus australasica ‘Crimson Tide’
This is an even smaller-growing variety that reaches up to 1.5 meters tall and wide. It produces black to dark-brown fruits with attractive red-coloured caviar-like vesicles inside.
It is considered one of the slowest-growing varieties that produces less prolific harvests than others but the fruits are also considered some of the tastiest as well. Unfortunately, this specific variety can be hard to come by.
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Citrus australasica ‘Chartreuse’
This variety is renowned for its tasty fruits that have a subtle citrus flavor. The fruits are also less bitter than other finger limes so this plant is a great choice for those who don’t enjoy overly bitter fruits.
It produces pale green to yellowy fleshed fruits with clear to lime green colored vesicles inside. This plant will usually reach 2 to 5 meters tall and 2 to 3 meters wide in cultivation.
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Citrus australasica ‘Red Champagne’
Being the most popular variety of finger lime, Red Champagne fruits feature milder, more subtle flavour profiles that are perfect for many cooking applications. The fruits are black to maroon when mature with clear to light-red vesicles inside.
Fruits from this variety can even be eaten fresh and they have one of the longest shelf lives of all finger limes. It features an attractive dense canopy once established and is easily managed when grown in pots as it only reaches about 1.8 meters tall and wide.
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A few fun facts about Australian finger limes:
The caviar-like pulp of the finger lime is comprised of separate juice vesicles that are compressed inside the fruit. The fruit has become quite popular due to its juicy, tangy flavor and unique look.
There are five registered finger lime cultivars available which include ‘Alstonville,’ ‘Blunobia Pink Crystal,’ ‘Durhams Emerald,’ ‘Judy’s Everbearing,’ and ‘Pink Ice.’
Finger lime fruit does not ripen off the tree so pick it when it is fully ripe, when the fruit feels heavy and easily detaches from the limb of the tree.
Microcitrus australasica is not only special for its unique fruit. It may be the key to finding a cure or solution to Huanglongbing (HLB) or citrus greening. HLB is a disease that causes small and deformed fruit and the eventual death of citrus trees. It has been devastating to citrus producers around the world, especially in the United States, China, and Brazil. Australian finger lime has shown both tolerance and resistance to HLB. Tolerance means that the trees become infected, but the symptoms are mild and the tree can grow and continue producing marketable fruit. Resistance is when the tree is not susceptible to the HLB and does not become infected after exposure. Understanding and utilizing these traits are crucial to protecting citrus production around the world.
