How to pick a ripe Sweet lime

How to pick

Smell the rind first: a fresh sweet lime has a faint lemony scent at the rind, strongest near the stem end. Then look at the skin — it should be thin, smooth and evenly pale yellow-green to light yellow, with a soft natural sheen. Lift it: a juicy fruit feels heavy for its size, because juice is most of its weight. Last, look at the stem end, where citrus shows drying first — the rind there should match the rest of the fruit, with a small dry button sitting flush. Color does not tell you ripeness here: the fruit is picked ripe, and green or yellow both sell sweet.

Red flags

• Dull, matte rind that has lost its sheen — the fruit has been drying out
• A darkened, slightly sunken patch around the stem end — the rind is breaking down as the fruit loses water
• Feels light for its size — less juice inside
• A soft, wet-looking spot anywhere on the rind, often at either end — decay starting
• Small pits or brown stains scattered over the rind — often from being kept too cold or handled roughly
• Any white, green or blue-green mold, especially at the stem end or on a cut in the rind

How to store

Keep whole sweet limes at room temperature, out of the sun, if you will use them within about a week. For longer, put them in the crisper drawer — the warmest part of the fridge — in a loosely closed bag. Citrus held too cold can pit and stain on the rind, so keep them off the coldest shelf. Check the bag every few days and take out any fruit with a soft spot or mold, because mold spreads from fruit to fruit. Press juice just before drinking.

More to pick

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