Hello All!

Today, I was in my local Balduccis, the best and probably the most
expensive "gourmet" store. They had what I wanted: dates but there were
some other interesting things like "giant lemons", really as big as
grape fruits. I did not try these but they also had "sweet limes" and I
bought one even if they were $5.99 a pound. They looked somewhat like
limes with smooth yellow skins but had little lime taste being like not
very juicy seedless oranges. You can keep them in my opinion.

--


James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

Email, with obvious alterations:
not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not

On Sun, 23 Nov 2008 00:07:13 GMT, "James Silverton"
> wrote:

>Hello All!
>
>Today, I was in my local Balduccis, the best and probably the most
>expensive "gourmet" store. They had what I wanted: dates but there were
>some other interesting things like "giant lemons", really as big as
>grape fruits. I did not try these but they also had "sweet limes" and I
>bought one even if they were $5.99 a pound. They looked somewhat like
>limes with smooth yellow skins but had little lime taste being like not
>very juicy seedless oranges. You can keep them in my opinion.

Wow, those are expensive. I can get sweet limes here in a few markets
for much, much less than that. I think I have seen them in the mexican
megamart...and I think the price was about $1/dozen. I could be
wrong...but they were not very expensive anyway.

Christine

James Silverton wrote:
> Hello All!
>
> Today, I was in my local Balduccis, the best and probably the most
> expensive "gourmet" store. They had what I wanted: dates but there were
> some other interesting things like "giant lemons", really as big as
> grape fruits. I did not try these but they also had "sweet limes" and I
> bought one even if they were $5.99 a pound. They looked somewhat like
> limes with smooth yellow skins but had little lime taste being like not
> very juicy seedless oranges. You can keep them in my opinion.
>
Assuming the lemons don't lack flavor, they could be useful. The
limes don't sound like my cup of tea though. For one thing, I
like the tartness of limes.

--
Jean B.

Jean B. wrote:
> James Silverton wrote:
>> Hello All!
>>
>> Today, I was in my local Balduccis, the best and probably the most
>> expensive "gourmet" store. They had what I wanted: dates but there
>> were some other interesting things like "giant lemons", really as big
>> as grape fruits. I did not try these but they also had "sweet limes"
>> and I bought one even if they were $5.99 a pound. They looked somewhat
>> like limes with smooth yellow skins but had little lime taste being
>> like not very juicy seedless oranges. You can keep them in my opinion.
>>
> Assuming the lemons don't lack flavor, they could be useful. The limes
> don't sound like my cup of tea though. For one thing, I like the
> tartness of limes.
>
The lemons sound like Ponderosa lemons, supposedly a sport between
lemons and grapefruit or one of the other citrons. We have a tree on the
south side of our garage and it makes lemons as big as three pounds on
occasion. The skin is thick and bumpy and the lemon has a great many
seeds. The seeds are viable and, if planted, will grow into another
Ponderosa lemon tree. I've grown hundreds of them over the years to give
away and also to sell at our annual plant sale when we still had them.
Make a nice tree with some thorns on the branches. In the south they're
prone to citrus rust mites but are easily treated with sulfur in a
spray. We put up about 20 quart bags of lemon juice cubes every fall and
enjoy "fresh" lemon juice in tea, water, etc. all year. Wife makes
lovely lemon pies from the juices and I keep a bottle in the fridge for
use in cooking.

George Shirley wrote:
> Jean B. wrote:
>> James Silverton wrote:
>>> Hello All!
>>>
>>> Today, I was in my local Balduccis, the best and probably the most
>>> expensive "gourmet" store. They had what I wanted: dates but there
>>> were some other interesting things like "giant lemons", really as
>>> big as grape fruits. I did not try these but they also had "sweet
>>> limes" and I bought one even if they were $5.99 a pound. They looked
>>> somewhat like limes with smooth yellow skins but had little lime
>>> taste being like not very juicy seedless oranges. You can keep them
>>> in my opinion.
>>>
>> Assuming the lemons don't lack flavor, they could be useful. The
>> limes don't sound like my cup of tea though. For one thing, I like
>> the tartness of limes.
>>
> The lemons sound like Ponderosa lemons, supposedly a sport between
> lemons and grapefruit or one of the other citrons. We have a tree on the
> south side of our garage and it makes lemons as big as three pounds on
> occasion. The skin is thick and bumpy and the lemon has a great many
> seeds. The seeds are viable and, if planted, will grow into another
> Ponderosa lemon tree. I've grown hundreds of them over the years to give
> away and also to sell at our annual plant sale when we still had them.
> Make a nice tree with some thorns on the branches. In the south they're
> prone to citrus rust mites but are easily treated with sulfur in a
> spray. We put up about 20 quart bags of lemon juice cubes every fall and
> enjoy "fresh" lemon juice in tea, water, etc. all year. Wife makes
> lovely lemon pies from the juices and I keep a bottle in the fridge for
> use in cooking.

I don't think I have seen those around the Boston area. I do have
a kaffir lime, but it is visiting someone who has a solarium until
it can go back outdoors sometime next spring. Sometimes one must
envy those of you who can actually plant such things outside (and
have them survive).

--
Jean B.

Jean B. wrote:
> George Shirley wrote:
>> Jean B. wrote:
>>> James Silverton wrote:
>>>> Hello All!
>>>>
>>>> Today, I was in my local Balduccis, the best and probably the most
>>>> expensive "gourmet" store. They had what I wanted: dates but there
>>>> were some other interesting things like "giant lemons", really as
>>>> big as grape fruits. I did not try these but they also had "sweet
>>>> limes" and I bought one even if they were $5.99 a pound. They looked
>>>> somewhat like limes with smooth yellow skins but had little lime
>>>> taste being like not very juicy seedless oranges. You can keep them
>>>> in my opinion.
>>>>
>>> Assuming the lemons don't lack flavor, they could be useful. The
>>> limes don't sound like my cup of tea though. For one thing, I like
>>> the tartness of limes.
>>>
>> The lemons sound like Ponderosa lemons, supposedly a sport between
>> lemons and grapefruit or one of the other citrons. We have a tree on
>> the south side of our garage and it makes lemons as big as three
>> pounds on occasion. The skin is thick and bumpy and the lemon has a
>> great many seeds. The seeds are viable and, if planted, will grow into
>> another Ponderosa lemon tree. I've grown hundreds of them over the
>> years to give away and also to sell at our annual plant sale when we
>> still had them. Make a nice tree with some thorns on the branches. In
>> the south they're prone to citrus rust mites but are easily treated
>> with sulfur in a spray. We put up about 20 quart bags of lemon juice
>> cubes every fall and enjoy "fresh" lemon juice in tea, water, etc. all
>> year. Wife makes lovely lemon pies from the juices and I keep a bottle
>> in the fridge for use in cooking.
>
> I don't think I have seen those around the Boston area. I do have a
> kaffir lime, but it is visiting someone who has a solarium until it can
> go back outdoors sometime next spring. Sometimes one must envy those of
> you who can actually plant such things outside (and have them survive).
>
We get about two months of really nice weather here in SW Louisiana, one
in early March or April, another in October. The rest of the year it's
mostly 96 to 105F with humidity of 96%. Right now it is winter. We
actually had 43F this morning, warming up to 67F. <Grin>

I spent a few months in the Boston Navy Yard in the fall of 1959 and
then a year at Newport, RI. Boston was a nice city then except for
Scully Square, aka "The Combat Zone." Someone told me it is a parking
garage now. Newport was a Navy town pretty much with lots of bars and B
girls but the countryside was nice. Wouldn't have wanted to live up
there in New England though, got to cold for this old Middle Coast boy.
Nice to visit in the spring or fall though.

We're still harvesting sweet and hot chiles, cherry tomatoes, lettuce,
eggplant, the cabbage is growing well as is the broccoli. We will be
picking kumquats this week and harvesting the lemons to boot.

This is a big country and lots of climate zones to enjoy. I guess we all
mostly like where we live or we would move elsewhere. I will never live
where it gets really cold as I am housebound at temperatures below
freezing. I have angina and it really hurts me when the temps get low,
not to mention what it does to my arthritis. Getting old is hell but a
lot better than the alternative.

George Shirley wrote:
> We get about two months of really nice weather here in SW Louisiana, one
> in early March or April, another in October. The rest of the year it's
> mostly 96 to 105F with humidity of 96%. Right now it is winter. We
> actually had 43F this morning, warming up to 67F. <Grin>
>
> I spent a few months in the Boston Navy Yard in the fall of 1959 and
> then a year at Newport, RI. Boston was a nice city then except for
> Scully Square, aka "The Combat Zone."

Scollay Sq. is where our Government Center is now--also stores
across the street. The Combat Zone moved down next to Chinatown.
Someone told me it is a parking
> garage now. Newport was a Navy town pretty much with lots of bars and B
> girls but the countryside was nice. Wouldn't have wanted to live up
> there in New England though, got to cold for this old Middle Coast boy.
> Nice to visit in the spring or fall though.

Heh. Even *I* am beginning to think the winters are a bit much.
We had some nice warm weather, and then this week has been COLD.
Today didn't get out of the 20s, and you can add in some gusts.
>
> We're still harvesting sweet and hot chiles, cherry tomatoes, lettuce,
> eggplant, the cabbage is growing well as is the broccoli. We will be
> picking kumquats this week and harvesting the lemons to boot.

Now, given what I just said, I don't want to hear that. (Just
kidding, but...)
>
> This is a big country and lots of climate zones to enjoy. I guess we all
> mostly like where we live or we would move elsewhere. I will never live
> where it gets really cold as I am housebound at temperatures below
> freezing. I have angina and it really hurts me when the temps get low,
> not to mention what it does to my arthritis. Getting old is hell but a
> lot better than the alternative.

Yes, my parents always said that, and I find myself saying and
thinking it too. That can put things into perspective. It sounds
like you have good reason to avoid the cold. I would welcome a
bit of warmth now, but I wouldn't want to trade in a way that
landed me with hotter, more humid summers. Of course, we could
all crowd into the small temperate zone....


--
Jean B.

Jean wrote on Sat, 22 Nov 2008 20:18:17 -0500:

> George Shirley wrote:
>> Jean B. wrote:
>>> James Silverton wrote:
>>>> Hello All!
>>>>
>>>> Today, I was in my local Balduccis, the best and probably
>>>> the most expensive "gourmet" store. They had what I wanted: dates
>>>> but there were some other interesting things like "giant
>>>> lemons", really as big as grape fruits. I did not try
>>>> these but they also had "sweet limes" and I bought one even
>>>> if they were $5.99 a pound. They looked somewhat like limes
>>>> with smooth yellow skins but had little lime taste being
>>>> like not very juicy seedless oranges. You can keep them in my
>>>> opinion.
>>>>
>>> Assuming the lemons don't lack flavor, they could be
>>> useful. The limes don't sound like my cup of tea though. For one
>>> thing, I like the tartness of limes.
>>>
>> The lemons sound like Ponderosa lemons, supposedly a sport
>> between lemons and grapefruit or one of the other citrons. We
>> have a tree on the south side of our garage and it makes
>> lemons as big as three pounds on occasion. The skin is thick and
>> bumpy and the lemon has a great many seeds. The seeds are
>> viable and, if planted, will grow into another Ponderosa
>> lemon tree. I've grown hundreds of them over the years to
>> give away and also to sell at our annual plant sale when we
>> still had them. Make a nice tree with some thorns on the
>> branches. In the south they're prone to citrus rust mites but
>> are easily treated with sulfur in a spray. We put up about 20
>> quart bags of lemon juice cubes every fall and enjoy "fresh" lemon
>> juice in tea, water, etc. all year. Wife makes lovely
>> lemon pies from the juices and I keep a bottle in the fridge for use
>> in cooking.

> I don't think I have seen those around the Boston area. I do have a
> kaffir lime, but it is visiting someone who has a
> solarium until it can go back outdoors sometime next spring.
> Sometimes one must envy those of you who can actually plant
> such things outside (and have them survive).


I'm glad that others have seen the giant lemons and sweet limes but,
AFAICT, others agree with me that, while trying them once is a
reasonable experiment, the stores can keep them. Kaffir limes and Key
limes are something else!
--

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

Email, with obvious alterations: not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not

James Silverton wrote:
> I'm glad that others have seen the giant lemons and sweet limes but,
> AFAICT, others agree with me that, while trying them once is a
> reasonable experiment, the stores can keep them. Kaffir limes and Key
> limes are something else!

Right you are!

--
Jean B.

"James Silverton" > wrote in message
...
> Hello All!
>
> Today, I was in my local Balduccis, the best and probably the most
> expensive "gourmet" store. They had what I wanted: dates but there were
> some other interesting things like "giant lemons", really as big as grape
> fruits. I did not try these but they also had "sweet limes" and I bought
> one even if they were $5.99 a pound. They looked somewhat like limes with
> smooth yellow skins but had little lime taste being like not very juicy
> seedless oranges. You can keep them in my opinion.
>
> --
>
>
> James Silverton
> Potomac, Maryland
>

Hmm...I think you got took, James
I get sweet limes for $2/basket at the farmers market. They are juicy, and
taste like limes but sweeter.

kimberly