Australian Desert Limes

article submitted by: TheWorldRecipeBook - California - United States

Article submitted by Stephen on behalf of Australian Desert Limes

Just recently I came across Australian Desert Limes also called bush limes. A friend from Perth Western Australia sent me a jar. I often get people sending me products to try, they looked interesting but somehow they were pushed to the back of my pantry.

That was quite handy though as I was recently cooking up a rump of Kangaroo (as one does) and I was fossicking in the said pantry when I came across this jar of Australian Desert Limes. After promptly ripping of the lid I soon found myself gnawing away at the jar. These limes have an amazing flavour. Sharp, bitter, tangy almost explosive in taste and nature.

I sautéed a few of with a red wine reduction that I had deglazed the pan that I had just used to cook the kangaroo. Pushed them through a fine chinoise (fine steel sieve) and it was just gorgeous.

That really wasn't the end of that though. I had planned to use a fresh berry coulis on some fresh vanilla ice cream I had made the day before. ( a friend has just returned from Tahiti with a handful of fresh Vanilla beans, hence the reason I had made fresh ice cream). Instead I just poured the berries and their syrup straight from the jar over the top.

Friends, this is a great way to enjoy the special taste these berries have to offer. You chefs out there who haven't tried these, order some! You wont be disappointed.

I tracked down Jock Douglas from Australian Desert Limes and they were really forthcoming and very happy to tell the story of these lovely little native limes.

What are Australian desert limes?

The Australian Desert Lime is small with an intense, piquant flavour. It is the flavour which continues to draw the attention and admiration of food enthusiasts.

Desert limes are an extremely versatile fruit. They can be used in any product or process where 'normal' limes or lemons are used, the main difference being their small size, lack of peel and more intense flavour. Desert limes require no peeling or preparation. They have the valuable attribute of freezing down without losing flavour or presentation characteristics when thawed later for use.

The fruit has been analysed as a very healthy food source, having three times the amount of Vitamin C compared to oranges. They were eaten by aborigines and have been used by generations of Australian outback people to make cordials, sauces, garnishes marmalades, pickles and chutneys. Thirsty stockmen eat the fruit straight from the trees while mustering as a thirst quencher, but it is said that it is difficult to simultaneously eat desert limes and smile!

Australian Desert Limes are from a tree species of true citrus which is native to Australia - eremocitrus glauca. Commonly known as bush or wild limes, the fruit is now accepted in Australia as the desert lime. These trees evolved and occur naturally across western Queensland..

Desert Lime trees exhibit many desert adaptation

characteristics. They are the quickest citrus tree species in the world to set fruit after flowering. They protect themselves against grazing animals by sharp thorns, however, after growing above browse height of large kangaroos the trees grow no more thorns.

There is a very strong rise in awareness and appreciation of the Australian outback both here and internationally. Cuisine and product lines that incorporate the great bush food tastes such as Australian desert limes are adding interest and customer appeal to menus and are exciting palates. The versatility of this fruit, its characteristics and its outback origins allow it to fill this role admirably.


Bush or desert limes - citrus glauca - is an inland tree adapted to harsh Australian conditions. The limes are small and round, about the size of a small grape, with a very distinctive piquant lime flavour. Australian Desert Limes (ADL) is the trading name for the Douglas family based near Roma in western Queensland. They have 3500 trees that are grafted on to a citrainge rootstock because the straight natives propagated from seed take about 10 years to bear fruit, while the grafted trees take 4 to 5 years with first fruiting at 3 years.

Australian desert limes use cuttings from a few of the very best bearing wild trees selected from over a thousand native trees in 11 years of wild harvesting. They have planted a further 9,000 trees and will cease wild harvesting when these mature. Their native desert lime trees are heavy bearers under favourable conditions (40 kgs per tree for good trees) and the selection process they have ensures this trait continues in the plantation trees. They are also propagating and selling their best selection in Queensland and soon in all other States so people can grow them in their gardens or commercially. This is named the Abundance desert lime .

Australian desert limes have several advantages over other limes and citrus.

Taste - A distinctive intense 'Moreish' flavour . Believe me folks they are very, very Moreish!

Ease of use - no peeling, slicing; just use them whole at 1/4 the equivalent weight of Tahitian limes.

Interest - an Australian native fruit from a desert-adapted tree – makes good environmental sense and that's refreshing these days isn't it. A good healthy sustainable, native crop, you have got to love that.

Want to buy a tree?

Well folks as far as I can ascertain you won't have a problem as long as you live in Queensland Australia! But if you drop Jock an email he may be able to shed a little more light on the rest of the planets chance of getting hold of our own little tree. Australian Desert Limes

Australian Desert Limes are accepting orders for grafted trees ready to deliver March/April 2009 at $20/seedling at farm gate. Due to citrus tree movement regulations they can cerrently deliver to customers residing in Queensland only.


{b]Markets, marketing arrangements, future prospects?
Australian desert limes anticipate developing markets which are beyond their capacity to supply, as they have limited water for our trickle irrigation plantation. They are moving to value-add their desert limes and developing a range of products: jams, chutney, sauces, drinks etc.

Australian Desert Limes are currently seeking Australian and export markets for our frozen fruit and value-added products and will be looking for additional reliable supply sources apart from our own to fill these orders.

The longer term aim is to establish a brand name under which other desert lime growers can market but on the basis that all meet set quality standards for the brand. The central company/brand name would either purchase fruit from suppliers or charge a commission. A co-operative is an option also.

Their hope is that the people growing desert limes from Australian desert limes material will promote and market innovatively themselves also so this distinctive native fruit is much more widely known and available. The intention is to start a new, small Australian industry which is widely based geographically and to avoid the pitfalls that some previous start-ups experienced, such as with Aloe Vera and ostriches. So you want to try some.

Finding these outside Australia, New Zealand and strangely Germany could be an issue. But really folks. Try something different and get some shipped to you wont be disappointed.


For all sales information I suggest you email Jock at Australian Desert Limes

I suggest you try the Desert Limes in Syrup as these are multi functional but they they have Chutneys, jams and sauces. The gift packs look great too as they have a little of each product to get your head around and are light weight for shipping around the globe.

Be sure to drop us a line here at The World Recipe Book and tell us how you found your Australian desert limes and most importantly did you enjoy them. I look forward to hearing from you.

If you have a food you would like us to review from anywhere in the world we welcome you sending us samples. We just love to discover other great new and old foods like these Australian Desert Limes

Enjoy !

Stephen Smith
The World Recipe Book