You can tell if lime is terrible when the rind is soft or sour. The rind should be firm and bright green. You can also smell a sour, moldy aroma. It may also be wrinkly or contain spots of organic growth. The rind should be white or yellowish. If the ring is wrinkly, you should toss it.
If the lime has gone wrong, it will dry up inside. It will swell and become dull. The flesh will pull away from the peel. The lime’s rotting juice will be bitter and contain toxins. It is best to avoid eating rotten fruit. Though this may seem like a hassle, the lime is not dangerous unless you’re allergic to limes.
Lime Nutrition Facts
What how A Good Lime Looks Like?
We need to know what a lime should look, feel, and smell like before we can tell if it looks, feels, or smells ‘wrong.’
Color
Limes are commonly associated with the color green. Isn’t that precisely what they’re meant to be? Lemons are yellow, and limes are green. The truth, though, is a little different. Green limes are underripe. Limes are ripe when they become yellow, just as bananas. However, we prefer underripe limes to their matured counterparts for eating and use. This is why green limes can be found in our produce sections.
Texture
In hand, a ripe, entire lime should be pretty firm. If you squeeze it, you’ll feel some give, but it won’t simply squash in your hand. The skin should be waxy and dimpled, with a slight sheen. Limes might rot faster if they have marks or cuts on their skin. When you’re out shopping, try to avoid these. In hand, a ripe lime should be weighty. The more weight it has, the more juice it contains.
Smell
Uncut limes should have no scent, but you should receive a wonderful zesty scent if you scratch the peel a little. It should smell like lime. Fresh, tangy, and delicious. This smell should get stronger as the lime is sliced. The fragrance of chopped lime will tell you whether it’s still fresh enough to consume. It should be fine if you can still detect a lovely lime aroma.
How To Check If A Lime Has Gone Bad?
Let’s take a look at a sour lime now. What are the distinctions? Which clues indicate that the lime has expired?
Color
A spoiled lime will be brown. Its skin will also be mushy and moldy. If the lime is too mushy, throw it away. It will be sour. If it smells sour, it’s probably not healthy to eat. If lime is cut or moldy, discard it. Its juice will not be able to retain its freshness.
On the inside, you’ll notice the segments have begun to shrink as they dry out. They will look wrinkled and dull and appear to pull away from each other and the flesh. The brown color from the outside will begin to creep inside too.
Texture
When you pick up a ruined lime, one of the first things you’ll notice is how light it is. This is because the lime dries out as it ages. The skin will have a wrinkled texture rather than dimpled, and it will not be as waxy. It will have a rougher texture on the surface. If you squeeze a rotten lime, you’ll almost certainly dent it. In your palm, it will feel soft and squishy.
Smell
To check if lime is terrible, look for the skin. You can also smell its rottenness by checking under the peel. If the skin is spotted with mold, it’s likely spoiled. If the skin is yellow, sour, or moldy, the lime is terrible. It should be cut into several segments and discarded.
This is to prevent any foodborne illnesses. You might not smell much if you scratch the skin of a rotten lime. However, you may notice a strong acidic odor. Beyond the typical lime aroma, this will be acidic. A chopped lime is the same way. The odor will either be almost undetectable or harshly acidic and unpleasant.
How Long Do Limes Last?
Limes have a longer shelf life than other fruits due to their acidity. Acidity functions as a natural preservative. They will, however, not last indefinitely. Fresh, uncut limes will last 2-4 weeks on the counter. Because limes aren’t generally labeled with a best-before date, you’ll have to go by the date you bought them.
If limes are left unprotected on the counter after chopping, they will expire the next day. The lime will dry out due to the oxygen, and bacteria will begin to grow. The lime’s shelf life can be nearly doubled if kept in the refrigerator. A lime that hasn’t been chopped can last for 1-2 months, and a lime that has been cut will last for two to three days.
How To Store Limes?
Select the best limes available to get a head start, just like you would with lemons. Always choose limes that are just ripened or at their peak of freshness when shopping at your local grocer.
They should have a uniform lime color and feel hard when you touch them. Limes that are damaged or mushy and those that are turning brown or have brown patches should be avoided.
When you come home with limes, you’ll need to figure out how to keep them. It’s OK to leave them on the counter or store them in the pantry if you plan to utilize them all within a week. Put them in the fruit basket, and you’re done.
Conclusion
Limes are a tasty addition to a variety of foods and beverages. They help bring out the tastes in a dish, brighten up a salad, and look great as a drink garnish. Please make the most of your limes while they’re still available. If you keep them correct, you have a pretty broad window of opportunity, so go for it. Use every part of the lime, including the zest, fruit, and juice.
