The finger lime – citrus australasica –is Australia’s unique native citrus, it is found in the wild only in and about the sub-tropical rainforests of south-east Queensland and the northern rivers of New South Wales. It is the longest used citrus and its pearls (vesicles) are a superfood. The pearls were consumed as a health protective food and the skins were used medicinally by indigenous Australian peoples for some 50,000 years before the citron was introduced into the Mediterranean region about 2,500 years ago.

Agrifutures Australia recently estimated that about 100 tonnes of finger limes were produced in 2023 by 70 growers and that there would be an 8% increase in production by 2025, along with more growers entering the industry. Most growers have less than 1000 trees.

“The fruit is grown commercially in various tropical, sub-tropical and temperate regions of Australia in various soil types, abundant water is essential. More than 60 different varieties have been found in the wild and about 10 are commercialized. The most popular are those varieties naturally colored red, pink, green and yellow. No one variety / color is preferred and tastes vary. A variety / color can be selected for taste or for decorative purposes,” explains Ian Douglas, Director at the Lime Cavier Company.

“Domestic demand is increasing by about 4% per year. It is driven by the uniqueness of the juice-full pearls, their taste and vivid decorative colors. Finger lime pearls have many culinary and mixologist uses and are high in vitamin C, folates and antioxidants. Fruit fly prevents the export of fresh Australia-grown finger limes to the world’s most significant food service sector markets, so the domestic market can be over supplied for up to four weeks of each picking season.”

International production

“Finger limes are grown commercially with varying degrees of success in many countries e.g. France, Italy, Sardinia, Spain, Portugal, Israel, Morocco, Croatia, South Africa, Japan, China, Mexico, Guatemala, USA, Thailand and Vietnam. Advertised offerings strongly suggest that the finger limes produced in most of those countries are inferior to those produced in Australia. Finger limes were first grown outside Australia in the 1890s. A few trees were taken from the wild in south-east Queensland and sent to France (Provence) so that finger limes pearls could be served by Chef Auguste Escoffier at the opening of Cesar Ritz’s Ritz Hotel at its opening in 1898.”

Seasonality, fresh shelf life and pearl return

The finger lime is a seasonal fruit. Picking in volume normally occurs over a period of four months – February to May in the southern hemisphere and August to November in the northern hemisphere. “The gourmet shelf life of fresh finger limes, even when carefully kept at 6⁰C to 10⁰C, is about three weeks. Finger lime pearls cannot be preserved as a stand-alone product by refrigeration as oxidation occurs readily. On average across all commercialized finger lime varieties, regardless of where they are grown, 36% in weight is edible (the pearls) and 64% in weight is inedible (waste i.e. skin and seeds). This means that all finger lime buyers throw away 64% of every purchase,” said Douglas.

Fruit fly in Australia

Fruit fly in Queensland and New South Wales prohibits the export of Australia-grown fresh finger limes to the world’s most significant gourmet food service sector markets e.g. USA, UK, EU members, China, Japan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Taiwan, Vietnam, Chile, South Africa, Fiji, French Polynesia. Fruit fly also prohibits the movement of fresh finger limes from Queensland and New South Wales to South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania.

“Other citrus (e.g. Tahitian limes) can be subjected to cold treatment to bypass the fruit fly embargoes. Not so with fresh finger limes, as cold treated fresh finger limes pearls are inedible and do not provide a fruit fly answer. Fresh Australia-grown finger limes are exported to Canada, Singapore, Hong Kong and the U.A.E. but these markets are small.”

Whole frozen finger limes

“Whole frozen Australia-grown finger limes are not embargoed by fruit fly. However, their pearls do not have the attributes of fresh finger lime pearls or the Lime Caviar Company’s product – Australian finger lime pearls / finger lime caviar. Even though whole frozen finger limes are exported to Japan and a few other countries, they do not feature in high-end gourmet food service sectors. The pearls of whole frozen finger limes are not gourmet, as many are seriously damaged by ice crystal growth when being frozen.

“The Lime Caviar Company is the exclusive producer of Australian finger lime pearls / finger lime caviar. The product is haute cuisine ready and of high-end gourmet quality. It is exported to many of the world’s best-known food service sectors and it can be found in various up-market retail outlets. It comes in five natural varieties / colors – red, pink, green and two yellow ones. Using technology developed by our company, the pearls are extracted from quality fresh finger limes, frozen in chef-friendly lots and packed in insulated for cartons for sale. We are a licensed food processor and the process is HACCP certified.

“The product has the best attributes of quality fresh finger lime pearls and its export is not hindered by fruit fly embargoes. Its development was initiated by the need to find an answer to the fruit fly problem, which it does. We export to the USA, UK, Canada, Denmark, France, U.A.E., Kuwait, India, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Taiwan, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Japan, South Africa, Chile, New Zealand and Fiji and the list continues to expand.

“The juice-full pearls, the exotic taste and vibrant colors are like fresh in every way. It has a frozen shelf life of 24 months, is available year-round, it can be served frozen, has no additives, no gluten, no allergens and no waste. The seasonality of fresh finger limes, being unavailable in volume for up to 8 months per year in each hemisphere, means that The Lime Caviar Company’s Australian finger lime pearls / finger lime caviar is the only haute cuisine ready gourmet finger lime product available during those eight months. The AUD delivered price of the product is more than competitive with the wholesale price of fresh finger limes regardless of where they are offered for sale.”

For more information:
Ian Douglas
The Lime Caviar Company
[email protected]
www.limecaviar.net