|
Limes
In the mid-1700s James Lind, a
Scottish naval surgeon, discovered that drinking the juice of limes and
lemons prevented scurvy, the scourge of sailors on long voyages. Soon
British ships carried ample stores of the fruits, earning their sailors the
nickname "limey." It was later learned that vitamin C deficiency causes
scurvy, and that limes are very high in this essential nutrient.
Four ounces (115 g) of lime juice
has 30 mg o vitamin C, or 40 percent of the Recommended Dietary Allowance
(RDA) for adult women. Limes are high in bioflavonoids and other
antioxidants, which help protect again cancer and other diseases. Limonene,
found mainly in the zest of lemons and limes, may help reduce cancer risk.
Like lemons, limes are useful as
flavoring agents. However, unlike lemons, limes do not impart a distinctive
taste of their own when used as a cooking ingredient; instead, they
tenderize and heighten the flavors of other foods, especially fish and
poultry. Lime juice can also be used as a salt substitute for meat and fish
dishes. A sprinkling of lime juice over a fruit salad prevents
discoloration.
Lime peels contain psoralens,
chemicals that make the skin sensitive to the sun thus, care should be taken
to minimize skin contact with lime peels. Cut away the peels before
squeezing the fruit so that the citrus oil containing the psoralens doesn't
get into the juice.
|
