Fruit from Kaffir Limes.

Does anyone have any suggestions for useing these please!
I have grated them for lime drinks but that is all.

It's really only the zest that is useful.The flesh is bitter and fairly dry.I use the zest in Thai curry pastes, and I imagine it would be quite good as a flavouring for a cake or a shortbread.Be careful with the quantity you use as it is very intense and too much will give an odd perfumey taste.Let me know if you would like a recipe for a curry paste.

I think you use the leaves for cooking with don't you! The fruit is not paramount

I use the fruit in cakes or in cooking - grate the zest and squeeze the juice, just like any other lime.

how do you know when they are ripe! i dont want to waste any. Its my first crop of tahitian and kaffirs. will definitely be comparing the fruit. loving the leaves in my curries mmmmm!

Another thought - kaffir lime leaves are a great flavouring for poached fruit, particularly feijoas, so I imagine that the zest would be worth trying.Not too much though.And bear in mind that you get a lot more zest per lime from kaffirs as all the bumps and undulations mean there is a far greater surface area.

Cut kaffir limes in half and use to clean soap scum from glass showers!

Davidt4, I'd like your recipe for curry paste please.
Also, can you grow kaffir limes in a pot! Anyone done that!Haven't seen any for sale at local garden centres - does that mean they are hard to get!

We have one in a large pot and one in the ground.The one in the ground has larger leaves, but the potted one is bushier.Most garden centres will have them, and the Flying Dragon dwarfed specimens are good for pots.

I'll put up some curry paste recipes for you soon, I just have to finish something first.

Here's a fairly mild red curry paste, with an example of how to use it.The curry uses Kaffir lime juice as well.

Thai Red Curry Paste

1 tsp white peppercorns
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
6 star anise
3 cinnamon sticks, broken
1 tab sweet paprika
6 long red dried chillies - deseed, soak warm water 30 min, chop
12 cloves garlic, chopped
3 stalks lemongrass, trimmed & chopped
2 tab galangal, chopped
4 large coriander roots, scraped and chopped
zest of 1 kaffir lime, finely grated
3 tab Thai shrimp paste, wrapped in foil & roasted until fragrant - 10 - 12 min.

Roast spices separately in dry pan until fragrant and slightly darkened.Grind to a powder and add paprika.

Pound rest of ingredients in a mortar or mini-processor, starting with hardest and add softer as you go.When it is a fine paste combine with spices.

If the mixture is too stiff to work, add cold water, not oil (oil will emulsify and bind it up).

Red Beef & Mushroom Curry

750 g cross cut blade, each piece cut in three, excess fat trimmed (leave a little)
20 large button mushrooms, quartered
250 ml coconut cream
200g red curry paste [leftover paste will keep in fridge 3 - 4 days.Do not freeze]
3 tab veg. oil
4 kaffir lime leaves - crushed in your hand
3 tab fish sauce
2 tab crushed palm sugar
500 ml coconut milk
3 long red chillies, split and deseeded
juice of 1 kaffir lime
juice of 2 limes
leaves of Thai basil (optional)

In a large saucepan heat the coconut cream and oil over high heat, stirring often, until it splits (i.e. oil separates out).Add curry paste and lime leaves and stir over high heat until sizzling and very fragrant, 10 - 15 min.

Add fish sauce, cook 1 min.Add sugar and coconut milk and bring to the boil, add beef, mushrooms and chillies, bring to a boil and turn down to a simmer.

Simmer (or bake in oven at 150C) about 3 hours until beef is very tender.Stand at least 10 min to let fat rise, skim off most fat, leaving a very thin layer.

Check balance of salt, then add enough lime juice to lift the flavours (probably all of it).Add basil.

You can also add some chunks of waxy potato or eggplant - about an hour before the end.

Green Curry Paste (Hot)

5 coriander seeds,
5 cumin seeds,
5 white peppercorns,
6 small hot green chillies, chopped,
3 long green chillies, deseeded and chopped,
2 stalks lemongrass, trimmed and chopped,
2 tab chopped galangal,
10 red shallots chopped,
5 cloves garlic chopped,
3 coriander roots scraped and chopped,
1 tab fresh tumeric chopped,
zest of 1 kaffir lime finely grated,
1 tsp Thai shrimp paste, roasted.

Lightly roast coriander, cumin and peppercorns in a dry pan, grind to a powder. Wrap shrimp paste in foil and roast until fragrant.Pound all ingredients in a mortar (or in a small food processor) until very finely ground.

they are a superb cure for dandruff apparently

I only use the zest. I recently tried making some shortbread with it - divine. Cardamom shortbread is also to die for.

Wow. Thank you all for your ideas especially David4 for producing all those recipes.
We have our lime in a pot and it seems quite happy but we have found that it is a gross feeder and responds appropriately each time it is fed.
Thank you all very much.

Yes, thanks, Davidt4, they look good, have been lazy lately and used jars of curry paste but those will galvanise me into action.Will also go and search out a plant - a friend has one and the fragrance of the fruit is gorgeous! I've been freezing the leaves and using them and they seem fine.Thanks again.