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 Entertainment | November 2006 
Fresh Mexican Limes Still Give Tequila Its Punch
 Maureen Gilmer - kitsapsun.com
When life hands you lemons, break out the tequila and salt.
While Mexicans have long drowned their sorrows in this native spirit, new gourmet tequilas offer a huge new variety to today's consumers. The old Cuervo Gold we all swore off of so many times in high school has some big competition these days.
In fact, there are now more than 600 brands of tequila on the market and high-quality imports elevate this drink from spring break slammers to uptown tasting parties. So, with tequila coming up in the world, you'll want to know a bit more about the requisite lime.
Centuries ago Arab traders brought limes from Asia to the Middle East, where Crusaders discovered them and carried them home to Spain. And that was only a stopping off point before the fruit reached the shores of Mexico. The species Citrus aurantifolia has since split into varietal groups to include larger Key limes and the smaller Mexican, or bartender's, lime. The latter produces the best lime for tequila aficionados.
The Mexican limes have the thinnest rind of all citrus. This allows the fruit to dehydrate so quickly that its cold storage life is severely limits. This means store-bought limes rarely retain that fresh-picked in flavor. But if you grow your own Mexican limes, you'll enjoy with the freshest fruit possible with every tequila tasting.
The Mexican lime available from premier citrus grower Monrovia is Citrus aurantifolia 'Mexican Thornless.' Their stock is available through quality garden centers nationwide. Mexican limes are frost damaged by temperatures below 30 degrees F. For frost-free climates it makes an excellent bushy small tree for the garden. They bloom over spring and summer with small fragrant white blossoms. The green fruit matures in the late fall and winter.
But in marginal climates, where winters experience occasional frost, you must provide protection for the entire plant. You can erect a small portable vinyl greenhouse over the plant to create its own mini-environment for the winter. While the greenhouse is not particularly attractive, it allows you a much larger in-ground tree and crop than you would from a tree limited by a portable container.
In still colder climates the lime must be brought indoors or into a greenhouse for the winter. Limes are best adapted to this method because other citrus need winter sun to ripen to optimal sugar content. Limes retain their sour flavor so the fruit continues to ripen even after you've brought them indoors.
Mexican lime trees adapt well to containers so they can be moved to warmer locations with the seasons. They require very good drainage, which means a citrus potting soil blend or a light potting soil with plenty of pearlite or coarse sand mixed in. The container should have not just one, but numerous drain holes in the bottom to ensure there is no over-saturation occurring deeper down. Feed as directed on the label with any fertilizer formulated for citrus.
Position lime trees on the south side of the house where it receives maximum solar exposure in all seasons. Citrus also can be espaliered onto south facing walls to provide more protection and maximize benefits of reflected heat. Indoors over-wintering lime trees are best in south facing windows and solariums.
The bark is vulnerable to sunburn, which is why exposed trunks are painted white in the orchard. Young trees with small foliage heads are most vulnerable. To keep a potted tree to a limited size, thin out interior branches at any time. To prune gently overall, wait until after fruit harvest. If you're growing the Monrovia 'Mexican Thornless,' any thorny suckers from below the graft union should be promptly removed.
If memories of limes on the Mexican Riviera seem far more flavorful than those of tequila parties further north, it's not your imagination. Freshness is everything. So why not bring a little bit of Mexico to your own backyard, so whenever life gives you too many lemons, you can always break out the tequila and limes.
(Maureen Gilmer is a horticulturist and host of "Weekend Gardening" on DIY Network. Contact her at her Web site www.moplants.com or visit www.diynetwork.com.) |
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