Many people cannot distinguish between a lemon and a lime at all and are of the opinion that a green lime is simply an unripe lemon. But actually, these citrus fruit are nothing alike!
Lemons are yellow, sour and grow in the subtropics and limes are green, with a slightly bitter taste and are born in the tropics. These two fruit are used differently in cooking and are not always interchangeable.
Lemon and lime are close citrus relatives that are high in vitamin C, with lime having more vitamin C than lemon. Ascorbic acid increases the body's resistance to infections, helps to make collagen and preserve skin elasticity.
In addition, lime contains iron, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium and essential oils, as well as pectin substances and vitamin P, which is very valuable for the health of blood vessels.
The lemon can be eaten whole, it has no parts that should be thrown away. In fact, the only thing that is not edible in a lemon is its seeds. But they can be planted if you want to have your own lemon tree.
When buying a lemon, look at it carefully. If the whole lemon has bumps, this is a guarantee that its peel is thick and the inside is small. A good lemon is shiny, like it's been polished.
Few people can consume fresh lemon without sugar, but it is a wonderful addition to other products. When it is added into tea, its peel must be peeled. Lemon increases appetite and has fat-soluble properties, so slices of the yellow fruit are added to fatty dishes.
Nutritionists advise that the lemon should be consumed with the peel and the white pulp between the peel and the fruit. However, the albedo - the white layer - is not suitable for culinary use, as it adds a bitter taste.
Lemons can be stored in the refrigerator for several months and lime can be stored for no more than two weeks. The rule when choosing fruit in the store is the same for lemons as for limes - the fruit must be shiny.
Lemon juice is added to dishes when they are served and lime can be added at the beginning of the cooking process as well as in the middle and at the end. It is an important ingredient in most alcoholic cocktails.
Its slightly bitter taste is perfect for Mojito or Margarita. The juice is squeezed before making the cocktail, because if it sits for a long time, the essential oils it contains disappear.
Lime is an indispensable part of the national cuisines of the countries of Southeast Asia and Latin America, especially Thailand and Mexico.
Mexican lime juice is used in marinades, to season seafood, meat and chicken, creating incredible flavor compositions with the participation of cayenne pepper.
Lime is an important ingredient in the famous guacamole sauce. And lovers of Thai cuisine know the sour-spicy taste of tom yam soup, which is cooked with a special type of lime.
This fruit contains very little juice, so its peel and leaves are also used in dishes. In the Arabian Peninsula, lime is boiled in salt water and then dried in the sun - this is how the special Arabic spice lomi is prepared, which is added to bean and rice dishes, giving them a subtle citrus aroma.
A double of the lemon is the citron – it looks like a very long lemon that reaches 40 centimeters in length. It has a sweet-sour taste, with a slight bitter flavor. The peel is mostly used, from which jam is made or it is added to dishes.
Another double of lemon is bergamot – it was obtained by crossing citron with other citrus fruit. Its fruit is round or pear-shaped. Bergamot is grown for the essential oils that are extracted from the flowers, fruit, leaves and peel.
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