It is all about the geometry of the lime (limometry?). The little parcels of juice run like muscle fibres through the fruit. The casings for these parcels are pretty tough and trying to pop them by hand is a high-effort way to extract the juice. Think about it, you wouldn't crack an egg by squeezing it in one hand? So, if you cut across these fibres then the juice just flows out. In pictures:
the wrong way to cut a lime - segments
the right way to cut a lime - across the lime avoiding the core, so you decapitate the little fibres insid
e.
Dear Limometric meister. I have a query...I want to make a cake that includes rosewater, dried orange peel and possibly dried rose petals. Maybe some pistachio too? Any ideas??
ReplyDeleteDear Zoe, will definitely be decapitating limes from now on. On mojitos, there's been a uniform move in south of Spain to use of sugar solution, little mint and possibly ill-sliced limes, with insipid results - I now ask how a mojito will be made before ordering as I believe there will soon be a range of offerings equivalent to Douglas Adams' Jinnan Tonix.
ReplyDeleteHello Anonymous 1 and 2!
ReplyDeleteon 1) - I have an instinctive feeling that Rose and Orange are incompatible - both aromatic and strong. You could go with one or the other and change Diana Henry's almond, lavender and orange cake (which I have previously topped with a greek yoghurt, icing sugar and orange blossom water topping). The original recipe is described here:
http://divineambrosia.blogspot.com/2008/07/lavender-orange-and-almond-cake.html
How about:
almond and rose cake with rose and pistachio icing. instead of flavouring the sugar with lavender you could mix some sugar with rose leaves and leave for a while, then use the flavoured sugar in the recipe. I will try it soon - thank you for the inspiration!
And to Spanish Anonymous, this is a disgrace! I think you should make it your mission to tutor the sustantivos (is that right?) in the correct method of lime extraction. Prize for the best recipe for a Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster starts here.
-Zoe
I just hope Anon 1 hasn't ended up alone in a hotel room after an abortive romantic weekend away. This recipe should heal anyone's fractured feelings though..
ReplyDeleteI am really trying to work out how people can do a post without it having to be from anonymous... please keep commenting! - Zoe
ReplyDeleteI suppose writing your name at the end is the way forward - Anon
ReplyDeleteP.S. I do like the sweet potato turds