Laura, What a great description you provided us. Thank you for taking the time to write it down for us with added pictures. Your meal and dessert sound so delicious and it must havebeen so nice and exciting to use the fruits from your own trees!

Cory

Cory, I've been thinking of you! How are you and your trees? I figured since I had the "data", I'd share it with you guys. Yes, the meal was delightful - and refreshing for such a hot day!

Thank you Laura. Very interesting. Now, what I'm missing is the taste comparison. I heard people saying that the persian lime can easily be used in exchanged for the key lime and that instead of 10 (maybe not as much) only have to squeeze one persian lime. But one of them does not has the bitter taste. Don't remember which one? And do I need a limequat too? ;) I looove weylime pie and key lime ice creme :) I just made an apple pie and when I peel and cut the apple for the pie, use lime to prevent the apple getting brown. And it really taste good.

Susanne, I don't think the Persian lime would be good for a pie bc it is not acidic enough. The taste of the three key lime varieties was quite similar - even the very ripe limequat was nice and sour. I tasted them all and did not notice any difference (between the three key lime varieties).

Thank you Laura for your fruit comparison! I would love to see more of these types of posts. I had toyed with the idea of adding a giant key lime to my collection but will probably hold off and get a limequat later. I have read many of your posts referencing the limequat and it never seems to disappoint.

I appreciate the report. Especially about the limequat, as it is less 'common'. I bought one on impulse, but it has not made fruit yet. I was kind of hoping the rind would be worth using.

I made ginger-limeaid (store bought persians, because my plant has not fruited yet) today. So wonderful, the lingering aroma from the rind oils :) Recently, I had picked up a bag of key limes to try for limeaid. They tasted like persians, which I found surprising.

Great post! I would like to see more of these comparisons among other citrus. This would help others make decisions as to what to add to their collection.

I find limequats to be kind of so-so. They're more like a kumquat with a bit tougher skin, kind of like eating a Meyer lemon but with a little bit of lime flavor.

Limequats are more cold-hardy than limes though, and seem to be very fruitful. I'd get this more as a novelty. I'm sure they're probably good processed into some sort of dessert.

Hibiscus, ginger-limeaid sounds amazing, I have some ginger sitting on my counter at home now, I think that I'll pick up some limes as take a whack at it. Thank you for the inspiration!

Hibiscus, the rind is worth using and I have used it in the past when I made key lime pie only out of limequats, it's just that the key limes had thicker rinds that were easier to zest. Parker, which limequat do you have? I do think they differ based on the cultivar. I have the Lakeland limequat and it really is almost identical to the key lime in flavor. Hibiscus, the key limes do taste much like Persians, but are more concentrated and acidic. Real key lime pie should be tart. I think the reason I never liked it before was because the one you find in most restaurants is made with regular limes and are not tart enough - way too sweet for my taste. George, that is very interesting about the temperature tolerance. That is surprising.

Key limes definitely have that bitter/tartness to them that the bearss just don't. My family's favorite pie is key lime and I made one for my grandmas birthday a while ago and the store didn't have enough key limes so I made one with key limes and one with bearss to compare and the bearss pie was like what you get in restaurants and the key lime was quite tart. Surprisingly my grandma and aunt preferred the bearss pie but I much preferred the key one. I think in the future I will use half and half to make a please everyone pie for us.

Sammers that is what I heard too. I think the key lime has a bit more depth but most peope can not taste the difference between key and persian. And hardly are there key limes offers in stores. People rather sqeeze out one persion then ten key lime to get same amount of juice. I have a bears lime but will add key lime next year too

IMHO - excessively tart limes are immature; harvested early for better grower profit. Friends that I have gifted matured Persian / Bearss lime to responded with "no idea they could taste this good". I personally like the limes to turn / display some yellowing for flavor.

Bottom line: It's all personal preference... and if you are not in the "zone", then the year and where your fruit is grown can have a significant effect too!

- George

Im trying to decide between a bearss and key lime..any recomendations? I wish i could get both but not this year. I am only going to add 2 more a minnenola(honeybell) and a lime. Although Im open for suggestions? Haha

It depends what you want it for, I think a bearss is more of an all around lime that can be used across the board,but they are readily available all year at the store where as key limes have more limited uses (if your particular about lime flavor) but are harder to come by. My key lime hasn't produced yet but I also hear they are more productive than the bearss. Someone can correct me if that is wrong. I have both, I got the bearss first (because it was on sale in store) and am happy with them.

I agree with Sammers (says someone that bought a persian instead of key lime this year) I would get a key lime first if you can get one