Bulbs
Flower Basics
Flower Beds & Specialty Gardens
Flower Garden
Garden Furniture
Garden Gnomes
Garden Seeds
Garden Sheds
Garden Statues
Garden Tools & Supplies
Gardening Basics
Green & Organic
Groundcovers & Vines
Growing Annuals
Growing Basil
Growing Beans
Growing Berries
Growing Blueberries
Growing Cactus
Growing Corn
Growing Cotton
Growing Edibles
Growing Flowers
Growing Garlic
Growing Grapes
Growing Grass
Growing Herbs
Growing Jasmine
Growing Mint
Growing Mushrooms
Orchids
Growing Peanuts
Growing Perennials
Growing Plants
Growing Rosemary
Growing Roses
Growing Strawberries
Growing Sunflowers
Growing Thyme
Growing Tomatoes
Growing Tulips
Growing Vegetables
Herb Basics
Herb Garden
Indoor Growing
Landscaping Basics
Landscaping Patios
Landscaping Plants
Landscaping Shrubs
Landscaping Trees
Landscaping Walks & Pathways
Lawn Basics
Lawn Maintenance
Lawn Mowers
Lawn Ornaments
Lawn Planting
Lawn Tools
Outdoor Growing
Overall Landscape Planning
Pests, Weeds & Problems
Plant Basics
Rock Garden
Rose Garden
Shrubs
Soil
Specialty Gardens
Trees
Vegetable Garden
Yard Maintenance
How to Tell If Limes Are Ripe
How to Tell If Limes Are Ripe. Unripened limes tend to be dry and lack flavor, so your marinades, cocktails and savory dishes will lack that oomph. Limes don't ripen off the tree; they must be picked and stored when they are at or close to maturity, but quality differences still exist. When choosing a ripe lime, let aroma, color, weight and texture...
Unripened limes tend to be dry and lack flavor, so your marinades, cocktails and savory dishes will lack that oomph. Limes don't ripen off the tree; they must be picked and stored when they are at or close to maturity, but quality differences still exist. When choosing a ripe lime, let aroma, color, weight and texture guide you toward mature fruit.
Smell the limes. A ripe lime will smelly lime-y; those that are underripe will not have a strong smell. Scratch the skin of the lime with a fingernail, then sniff to test for ripeness.
Go green: green limes are generally ripe and have more lime flavor than yellowish-green ones.
Feel the skin. It should give a little when you squeeze it but still firm, not soft. Limes that don't give to a squeeze are under-ripe; those that feel too soft are too ripe.
Choose fruits that feel heavy, since these have more juice than those that feel light for their size. The heaviness also indicates maturity, notes food scientist Shirley Corriher.
