Finger Limes

Natural History

The Finger Lime Citrus australasica is a thorny sprawling rainforest understorey tree that grows in sub tropical Rainforest in northern NSW and south east Queensland. Its fruit are truly delightful being the size and shape of fingers but containing flesh in individual vesicles like caviar. A strong and very aromatic lime flavour somewhere between a Tahitian and Kaffir lime, very distinctive and exciting to work with.

Our Finger Limes are grown on our 80 acre farm at Kurrajong Heights. We have over 1,500 grafted finger lime trees which are around 10 years old. There are 6 different varieties on our farm which ripen at different times of the year. Available fresh from March-June or try our Finger Lime Gin!

 

 

Cultural History

Undoubtedly the Aboriginal tribes of our subtropical Rainforests would have enjoyed the occasional Finger Lime fruit. Finger limes have only been planted in any quantity since 1997 and as such many growers are now entering the market and putting in grafted stock selected from superior wild trees. Nothing makes a chef's eyes lite up more than introducing them to the wonderful flesh of the Finger Lime, endlessly versatile as a garnish, flavour enhancer and feature of many dish'.

Left: Close up of black skinned green flesh fruit. There seems to be an endless variety of skin and flesh colours from dark purple, to crimson to white and yellow! The flesh inside is in tiny balls like caviar.