I have read and heard many people say that Finger Limes taste like kerosene. At the least saying it was not pleasant. I found it confusing. How can this fruit be used as a garnish on fine food in Australia and taste like kerosene? I’ve never heard of anyone ordering a fine meal and asking for a splash of kerosene flavoring to top it off.
Thanks to a good friend. I had the rare opportunity to taste some Australian Green Finger Limes. There were several fruit from several different trees.
There were 3 or 4 over ripened and partly dry fruit. Though these were a tan washed out color and looked like they had been lying on the ground for a while, I had to taste them anyway. It was not a pleasant flavor. It tasted like it looked.
The remainder of the fruit were maybe 1.5 to 2 in. long, dark green and to me didn't seem to be completely ripe.
I tasted several of the green ones and I have to admit it was reminiscent of kerosene. It also was not a pleasant flavor.
The last 2 green Finger Limes tasted great! I ate the pulp from both of them. Wanted more. Wow that was encouraging. These good tasting fruit didn't look any different than the others.
My observation. Though Finger Limes can have an off, kerosene like flavor, some taste very good. Like a lot of wild fruit, selective breeding could bring out a flavor that would be popular with the masses and not just to the Australian Citrus collector.
Terry

Hi Terry,

I think that in a flavor comparison it goes like this:

Microcitrus Virgata
Microcitrus Inodora
Microcitrus Australis
Faustremedin (Nasty)

I have had about 6-7 fingerlimes and all have been pretty bitter. The Var Sanguinea taste the same as the Australis.

The only application that I can think of is... Salad.

Marc

Due to the taste of Australian Finger Limes, I seriously doubt that they will every capture the citrus market. A lot of the promotion coming out of the Australian market is from the people wanting to sell them. - Millet