Lime...sharp and citrussy.

Its greening up in the garden.  Of course the ever green Holm oak just over the wall is a constant backdrop.  Even in the winter the sun shines off  its dark green shiny leaves and the contrasting silver of the back of leaves can shimmer in gentle breezes.  Within the garden I like form and strange structures, leaf patterns, with different greens, purples, splashes and splodges of creams and whites....one of my favourite plants however humble it may be is  Alchemilla Mollis.  I also have Alchemilla conjucta which is more silvery with hairy leaves.  I have yet to find Alchemilla erythropoda but will be on the look out for these at the local rare breed plant fairs. I would have loved to see the collection at the Botanic Gardens when we visited Cambridge  a couple of years ago, but it was closed due to the high winds.

"One of the things that make Alchemilla so interesting to plant scientists is that many are able to produce seed without the need for fertilisation of the flowers; this is known as apomixis. There are very few plants that are like this. It means that the seeds are genetically identical to the parent plant. This is useful on a practical level for gardeners because any seedlings that arise in the garden will be exactly the same as the parent." Source Cambridge University Botanic Garden Web Page.


Green is probably my favourite colour...and lime seems to work beautifully at this time of year.

Another of my passions and 'pass temps' is preserving and even have a separate blog where I publish some of my recipes, preserves, and trials.

Mr S likes straight forward preserves, and amongst the pots at breakfast rarely reaches for the lime marmalade.  It is one of my indulgences.  Since having Roses Lime Marmalade which must have been specially imported to Mauritius for all the expats like my Mum, as a child, I have been rather partial to lime marmalade.  This batch included lime and juniper, no gin, and Lime cardamom and ginger.  I was quite surprised Mr S he said: "What no 'just lime' for me?"

Back in 2012 when we had a break in Sherborne,  one of my 'souvenirs' was a jar of lime and fig jam/marmalade from a craft preserver at the Farmer's Market.  It was sublime  two of my favourite things in one pot!

Over on my Facebook page a friend mentioned that she rarely sees home made lime marmalade. This may be because it is quite tricky to get a set, and not just that the limes take a very long time to cook until the peel is soft.  Here again the pressure cooker reduced the time considerably.  

Indeed I used to think the problem of getting a set was very strange, I have found out that this is because the fruit is too acid, and the acid inhibits the pectin.  Dan Lepard one of my go to authors admits to this problem but there is a solution: adding a little bicarbonate of soda.  As limes ripen the acidity falls.  

Many of the limes we have access to in the UK are picked really underipe which also accounts for their not yielding much juice.  The box I bought last week must have been picked almost at the perfect point.  They were a pale yellow with a hint of lime green, and as juicy as a juiciest lemon, with a thin skin.  They have no pips at all so they are most probably Persian Limes: Citrus latifolia.  These types of limes are parthenocarpic which mean the fruit grow without fertilisation. 

From flowers that can set seed without fertilisation, to fruit that can set without being fertilized and having no seeds...and I thought about just writing about why I think there is not much home made or craft lime marmalade!  One friend's comment opens up such avenues for exploration and discovery.  I love to have comments so thank you for them.