Finger limes – the ‘caviar’ of citrus
From the December 2006 edition of Agriculture Today.
Australia’s own citrus caviar, the native fingerlime, is emerging as the most successful bush food after the macadamia, according to Bangalow grower, Sheryl Rennie.
“We’re selling to buyers from around Australia and even internationally from Singapore, Dubai and Hong Kong – and interest is rising,” said Ms Rennie who, with her business partner Georgie MacDougall, also markets fingerlimes for 22 other growers.
“Restaurants love fingerlimes, particularly as a garnish on seafood, because of the unique crystals that have the appearance of caviar and burst refreshingly in your mouth,” she said.
“They are also popular for making jams, sauces and salad dressings.”
Ms Rennie also grows lemon myrtle, Davison plums, lemon aspen, ryeberries and native mint on the red soil slopes at Possum Creek.
"They do quite well, but it’s the fingerlimes which are emerging as our most sought-after bush food product," she said.
"They're nowhere near the macadamia for level of production but they are nonetheless proving very popular."
NSW DPI horticulturist Phillip Wilk said the annual farmgate value of the fingerlime industry in NSW was still under $1 million.“
There is, however, increasing interest in planting fingerlimes in their natural growing region – subtropical northeast NSW and south east Queensland.
“ Fingerlimes are an under-story rainforest tree that grow to a height of about six metres and produce finger-shaped fruit with a range of mature skin colours,” said Mr Wilk.
“There has been some early varietal selection by pioneer growers targeting seedlessness, fruit colour and taste,” he said.
“Site selection and management practices to achieve good yields are issues that are being refined as more experience is gained growing the fruit.
“Most fingerlime producers have one to two hectares planted, with only a few larger growers.”
Mr Wilk said that while native fingerlimes have grown here forever – it’s only relatively recently that the unique fruit has started to be appreciated more widely.
This is a bush food industry that is taking its first steps out on its own,”he said.
Its future looks promising but past experience with small growing agricultural industries suggests there will be ups and downs.
“Any grower who is thinking about getting into fingerlimes should do their homework, get good advice and make realistic predictions on long-term fingerlime prices, yields and costs of production.
Contact Phillip Wilk, Alstonville, (02) 6626 2400
