When squeezed from their casing, you could be forgiven to think that what is about to go into your mouth is caviar.
In the words of grower Mervyn Dorrough, and Chef Steve Jackson, once on the tongue, they explode in your mouth. For those who have enjoyed finger limes, they tend to conjure images of the tropics, cool drinks and salads.
Although in this case, the finger limes are not grown in the warmer climes of northern Australia, but in the shadows of the Snowy in southern New South Wales. Mervyn’s property just south of the small town of Bemboka was once a dairy until he bought it.
Then along with his wife Elizabeth who had previously been a potter, the former landscape architect on parliament house in Canberra went about changing things.
“We were originally interested in growing bush foods. But it was hard to find anything that we thought would be viable. “It was quite accidental. After we planted the olives, we were in a nursery and found finger limes in pots.
“They had a few bits of fruit on them and we thought that was an extraordinary thing. “We got hooked on them and thought there was some potential.”
However to realise something more than just planting a few of what was more likely to be found in a rain forest environment, Mervyn went about creating a suitable setting.
This was achieved by planting some of the olive trees a lot closer than normal and then between them the finger limes which had been grafted on to a standard citrus root stock.
“They are something special, a very special condiment, a food in itself. “We put in a trial plot of 25 and they went through a winter and a summer without too many problems and so we decided to take a punt and have ended up with another 125 and they have grown extraordinarily well and in fact are flourishing.”
Mervyn and Elizabeth are now selling them through the region’s local markets and a number of chefs also eagerly await their harvest. “Everyone who looks at them and tastes them is quite amazed actually. “The little capsules inside are what contain the juice.
“When you squeeze them out you don’t get lime juice all over the place, it is only when you bite into them that you get this amazing burst of lime juice.” He says they have a variety of uses, and can be used in almost any dishes varying from fish, oysters or they can go with salads or deserts.
This is certainly the view of Steve Jackson, who after years as a French polisher and then conservator at places such as the Maritime Museum in Sydney, went back to college to qualify as a chef.
Whenever possible Steve bases his dishes on produce from the Bega Valley and nearby region. He travels to various community fairs offering his fare, and also caters for functions.
When finger limes are in season he makes certain that they are included in many of his dishes. “I’ve always been a great lover of bush food and finger food ties into that sort of thing.
“They do taste a lot like limes, but from a textural point or view, they look different they behave differently. “One little translucent ball of a finger lime it just explodes in your mouth when you crunch on it.”
Steve not only sees his role as a chef, but also educating the palates of his diners. “A lot of them don’t know what they are. They look at the little pearly things, or if they look at them when we cut them longways and have them open. “We’ve never had anyone disappointed when they try them.”
Source: ABC News