What Are Sweet Limes?

Sweet limes are a rare find in U.S. grocery stores. Sweet limes can grow in most of California and Florida as well as in the southernmost parts of Louisiana and Texas, but they're not grown commercially. And if you come across a sweet lime tree, you might mistake it for a lemon tree because of how similar the fruits look.

Known as mosambi in India and lima dulce in Latin America, sweet limes are popular in other parts of the world. For this reason, people refer to them as Indian sweet limes, Palestinian sweet limes, and Persian sweet limes. Here's everything you need to know about the fruit, including how sweet limes taste, how to use them, and how they're different from other limes.

What Are Sweet Limes?

Sweet limes (Citrus limettioides) are small citrus with thin, smooth skin and juicy flesh, ranging from yellow-green to yellow-orange in color. They measure about 2 to 3 inches in diameter. Sweet limes are likely a hybrid between Mexican limes and sweet lemon or sweet citron.

Where sweet limes originated isn't clear, though botanists often point to central or northern India. In addition to India, sweet limes are grown commercially in Vietnam, Egypt, and coastal areas of the Mediterranean. They grow well in tropical areas of Latin America, too.

Like other limes, their survival depends on warm weather and soil that drains well. In the United States, sweet lime trees can grow in most of California and Florida as well as in the southernmost parts of Louisiana and Texas. Their harvest season spans from late fall through winter and into spring.

What Do Sweet Limes Taste Like?

Unlike lemons and other limes, sweet limes won't make your mouth pucker. Indeed, without the biting acidity or bitterness of its citrus relatives, sweet limes taste pleasantly aromatic and sweet, like drinking limeade. Learn more about how to use sweet limes, where to buy them, and how they're different from "regular" limes.

How to Use Sweet Limes

Sweet limes are a versatile ingredient that Indian, Middle Eastern, and Latin American cuisines all value. Recipes use the fruit for its sweetness and citrus flavor, as its acidity doesn't come close to that of lemons and other limes.

Basic uses include eating them as a snack or juicing them for fruit drinks, smoothies, and cocktails. Often used in sauces, marinades, chutneys, and relishes, sweet limes bring bright flavor to meat and richer dishes. Use them in citrus desserts or even as a garnish on pies, cakes, and pastries. Not to mention, grating or zesting its peel can add an extra level of zing to these dishes.

Try sweet limes in recipes that call for limes or lime juice. Anything from classic limeade, to decadent lime bars or frozen kiwi-lime pops; a zesty dressing, or your main course. Or any of your favorite lime recipes — just be aware that you might have to adjust the sweetness.

Sweet Limes vs. Limes

Sweet limes differ from Persian limes and key limes, which are the sour varieties sold in grocery stores. All three fall under the genus Citrus but are separate species. And, given their basic differences, sweet and yellow sweet limes are easy to distinguish from these sour, green limes.

Sweet Limes vs. Sweet Lemons

Sweet limes and sweet lemons sometimes get mistaken for each other. Sweet lemons are a hybrid between citrons and bitter orange. Though both citrus fruits turn yellow as they ripen and contain barely any acid, they are in fact two species. Of the two, only sweet lemons contain a compound called limonin, which gives their juice a bitter flavor after it's exposed to oxygen.

Nutritional Value

A 100-gram sweet lime contains about 30 calories, which includes 10 grams of carbs, 3 grams of fiber, and less than 1 gram of protein and fat. Similar to other varieties of lime, per the USDA site, sweet limes are a good source of vitamin C as well.

Where to Buy Sweet Limes

You'll most likely find sweet limes at farmers' markets and Latin American markets when they're in season during the winter months, though you may come across them for sale at specialty food stores like Whole Foods and Trader Joe's as well as online.

Storage

To keep sweet limes fresh for three or four weeks, store them in the refrigerator, specifically in the crisper drawer on the low humidity setting. You can keep them at room temperature for up to two days.

Related:

• What Is a Key Lime?
• What Is a Meyer Lemon and How Is It Different From a Regular Lemon?
• What Is Sumo Citrus and Where Can You Buy It?