Ingredient: Lime

My family recently voted that they would pick a lime over a lemon any time. Limes are full of vitamin C and the juice from one lime provides almost a third of a child’s daily vitamin C intake – which is fab as they are so easy and delicious to squeeze into water.

Vitamin C supports immunity, iron absorption, and collagen production for healthy skin and joints. Limes also contain a small amount of potassium, polyphenols and they support your digestion system in a similar way to lemons, so its great to drink a little warm water with lime juice before a meal.

Limes are grown in warmer climates, such as Mexico and Brazil, where they can be harvested all year round. It is the Persian limes, which are larger and seedless, that are the most common in our supermarkets, while the Key limes are smaller, more aromatic, and used often in baking and the famous Key Lime Pie. In some countries, like India, limes are allowed to ripen more so they become yellow instead of green, and a little sweeter.

In your kitchen, they can be used to cut through rich or spicy food. I use them to finish a curry, chilli or spiced soup – and I find they can instantly change the mood of a dish, transforming a plain baked fish into something bright and tropical. You can also squeeze lime juice over fruit such as apple or papaya as it helps to preserve freshness as well as adding a tangy lift. You can even whizz lime juice into smoothies or freeze it into ice cubes with mint to flavour plain or fizzy water.

Don’t forget the lime’s zest either, it has a more concentrated flavour and contains plenty of antioxidants too. Just like the juice, the flavour and sharpness work in both savoury and sweet dishes and I it looks beautiful on a pavlova…or in a mocktail!