THE ACID LIME FRUIT IN HAWAII. 



15 



and the "whole pulp was ground. The acid content of the lime is 

 naturally high. The rather high fat content in the limes and lemons 

 was doubtless due to oil from the peel. 



COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS. 



The growing demand for the various commercial products of the 

 lime has created considerable interest in lime culture, particularly 

 in the West Indies and Ceylon. 7 



Green limes. — The remoteness of the place of production from the 

 general market makes it profitable to ship only especially selected 

 fresh green limes. They are usually packed in barrels holding some $/ 

 1,500 fruits each. At present the island of Dominica, W. I., which 

 exports about 42,000 barrels annually, supplies most of the world 

 markets with fresh limes. 



Pickled limes. — Salt-pickled limes are made from selected yellow 

 fruit, which is steeped in several changes of sea water and then 

 packed in stronger brine at the rate of 2,000 fruits per cask. The 

 demand for pickled limes has been on the decline within recent 

 years. 



Raw lime juice. — This product is expressed by passing sound, 

 clean limes between heavy granite rollers. The juice is clarified by 

 being allowed to stand until the albuminous matter forms a precip- 

 itate, after which it is filtered and sealed air-tight. It can be kept 

 for several months in this condition without serious loss of citric 

 acid by fermentation. The presence of essential oil from the rind 

 is thought to prevent the possibility of loss of acid, and for this 

 reason, as well as from considerations of color and cost, raw lime 

 juice is not distilled. It is used principally in the preparation of 

 beverages. 



Concentrated lime juice. 8 — This product is prepared mainly for 

 the purpose of reducing bulk and consequently freight charges en- 

 tailed in the shipment of the raw juice. The latter is concentrated 

 to a sirup by the simple process of boiling in a steam-heated or other 

 efficient evaporator, a process which reduces the bulk from one- 

 seventh to one-twelfth of its original volume, the degrees of concen- 

 tration varying with the strength of the milled juice. Concentrated 

 lime juice is exported chiefly for use in dye works and pure chemical 

 preparations. 



Citrate of lime or calcium citrate. — For various reasons citrate of 

 lime or calcium citrate is replacing concentrated lime juice as a com- 

 mercial product. Great care must be exercised in the preparation 

 of the concentrated lime juice ; otherwise a very dark product will 

 result and the crystals of citric acid will be discolored and require 

 expensive purification. Again, leakage from casks and the difficulty 

 of obtaining suitable casks in the Tropics are important commercial 

 considerations. 



Citrate of lime, when properly prepared, is a white powder that 

 can be shipped anywhere in paper-lined barrels and it will keep in- 



7 Auchinleck, G. G. The cultivation of limes. In Trop. Agr. [Ceylon], 57 (1921), 

 No. 5, pp. 284-298. 



8 Information relative to the concentrated lime juice and citrate of lime industry of 

 the West Indies is given in West Indian Buls. 2 (1901), No. 4, p. 308 ; 7 (1906). No. 4. 

 p. 331; 8 (1907). No. 2, p. 167; 9 (1908), No. 2, p. 193; 12 (1912), No. 4, p. 465; and 

 Agr. News, 1 (1902), No. 7, p. 99. 



