I always took limes for granted when I lived in America.
I grew up in LA with a huge tree that seemed to always have fresh fruit, and every supermarket in NY always had limes. It was just a given. I didn’t even think of them as anything exciting or seasonal, it was just another fruit. A staple in the house that you cook with like onions and potatoes. Then we made Aliya and limes were literally nowhere to be found. I remember thinking early on that I was just getting unlucky—back when I didn’t yet grasp the whole seasons’ thing—and would try so many different stores and they just were never to be found. I went all the way to Machane Yehuda (the shuk in Jerusalem) where I went for any hard-to-find items, but lo-and-behold they weren’t there either.
When we made Aliya I started cooking a ton more Asian foods. Kosher Asian products are in abundance here, compared to Manhattan where they’re a pain to find (even miso felt like a treasure hunt when you don’t have a car to shop in Brooklyn or the suburbs). Trouble is, Asian food often uses fresh limes. I quickly accepted that I wasn’t going to find them and planned to adapt to a life without them, at least until the next season came around. With some creative adjustments, I worked with what I had (which was lemons, because I do not like that concentrated lime stuff they sell in bottles). Then around one month ago, I finally saw limes for the first time, and I can’t even explain how exciting it was! It was this little bag of 6 limes for 10 shekel — probably overpriced but I was so getting it! I was even planning on buying like 20 bags and squeezing out the juice to freeze, but thank God I waited because the supermarkets brought limes in abundance a few weeks later for much cheaper. So, with limes in every corner of my kitchen and a good amount of juice frozen away, I was able to cook with it! It went into my hummus, marinades, and basically anything where I wanted something acidic or sour. A few weeks ago I was planning my
Then around two months ago, I finally saw limes for the first time, and I can’t even explain how exciting it was! It was this little package of 6 limes for 10 shekel — probably overpriced but I was so getting it! I was even planning on buying like 20 packages and squeezing out the juice to freeze, but thank God I waited because the supermarkets brought limes in abundance a few weeks later for much cheaper. So, with limes in every corner of my kitchen and a good amount of juice frozen away, I was able to cook with it! It went into my hummus, marinades, and basically anything where I wanted something acidic or sour.
A few weeks ago I was planning my Shabbat lunch and decided on lemon ice cream for dessert. But wait, I thought, why make lemon ice cream when it can be lime-flavored! I was also debating what to use for the crust, because in America I used cinnamon Graham crackers, but we don’t have that here. I walked up and down the cookie aisle and spotted some Lotus cookies and could not believe that didn’t come to mind right away. I went home and tried it out and it came out even better than I could have dreamed! So, while limes are still in season (at least for us Israelis) make this recipe for a fun summer dessert!
Prep Time
20 minutes
Servings
Prep Time
20 minutes
Servings
