Although nearly all of the limes that you see at the grocery store are green, many lime varieties actually turn yellow when they are at their ripest. A pale yellow color also indicates that they are less acidic, and generally this is when they are at their juiciest and most tasty. Limes are picked when they are green and underripe so that they travel better, especially as most Persian limes (also known as Bearss or Tahiti limes) are coming to the United States from Mexico.
Put the lime in the coconut:
- If you see a lime with yellow spots, rather than a pale green or yellow color all over, it usually means that certain parts of the fruit did not get enough sunlight while growing on the tree.
- Once they are picked, limes will not get much riper, so a tart green lime will not become a juicy yellow lime, no matter how long it is left sitting on your kitchen counter.
- Limes will last up to a week longer when they are stored in the refrigerator, rather than at room temperature.