545418 Mon Aug 04 10:08:02 -0700 2008 37 36 Spirits 0 3928618 I can not get fresh limes or Rose's lime juice by me. I have been able to find lime juice from concentrate though. It says on the bottle that it is for use it in cocktails. Obviously you "can use it" in cocktails but will it taste decent in say a cosmopolitan or gimlet etc...? has anyone tried it? do you need to sweeten it or something? It says on the bottle that two tablespoons equal one average sized lime. I appreciate your feedback. Thanks. Mon Aug 04 10:08:04 -0700 2008 178360 Faune 1 3928737 For my money, fresh limes are the only way to go. It's amazing that you can't find them near you. With tongue in cheek I will modestly suggest that you plant a lime tree in your yard. :) As for the concentrate, it isn't the worst thing you've ever tasted, but it does not compare to fresh juice. Mon Aug 04 10:50:25 -0700 2008 3928618 27580 Brooklyn Brendan 2 3928776 Thanks :) I ain't got a yard either. A small terrace, but no yard. :( Mon Aug 04 11:07:23 -0700 2008 3928737 178360 Faune 2 3928829 I think fresh limes would be pretty tough to find in Israel. ;) Mon Aug 04 11:22:09 -0700 2008 3928737 92744 invinotheresverde 3 3928932 They are! Almost impossible to find. We only have lemons and green lemons and they are $$$. Lemons are about ~$5.50 - ~$6.50 a Kilo by me. :( Mon Aug 04 11:49:37 -0700 2008 3928829 178360 Faune 1 3928884 I recently did a little testing on lemon concentrate. Primarily because of the price of lemons in my area ($1) and because I did have a bottle of lemon concentrate unopened in the pantry. My testing concluded that the concentrate was pretty good used in a marinade. But where you want that full blown citrus smell (which is part of your taste sensory) and that puckering lemony fresh blast, then don't use it in dishes where you're looking to do that. I didn't think it tastes awful, just different, a little more sweet than fresh. Also to address the question you posted, I did have a couple of wonderful margaritas at a BBQ on the 4th, the hostess was using the lime concentrate for which you speak. I could tell no difference. The drink was great! Mon Aug 04 11:33:54 -0700 2008 3928618 50431 chef chicklet 2 3990248 Here is a great Margarita recipe with Limeade, using the can as a measuring tool. Into a blender empty: 1 can Limeade 1 canfull Taquilla 1/3 can Triple Sec Fill with ice and turn on to puree for a minute or so. Pour into a pitcher with slices of 1 lime! Everyone raves! Wed Aug 27 02:55:26 -0700 2008 3928884 15691 mcel215 3 3990692 These sound incredibly sweet. The classic Margarita isn't a sweet drink. Have you made them on the rocks/straight up or just the unimpressive (in my opinion) frozen variety? Wed Aug 27 07:45:23 -0700 2008 3990248 92744 invinotheresverde 4 3992269 They are not too sweet. But, you are correct, it's not a classic Margarita. I was responding to Chef Chicklet, who said she had one made with concentrate, which is what this thread is titled. And I thought I would share a recipe for one with the concentrate. I also have another recipe for Beer-garita, which has a huge mug and a bottle of corona's turned upside down right into the mug of a frozen margarita. I am not a bar tender, just sharing fun drinks. Wed Aug 27 15:22:17 -0700 2008 3990692 15691 mcel215 5 3993098 I wasn't trying to "hate" on your version; I was simply saying it sounded pretty sweet to my taste. I bet they're delicious all summer long, sweet/frozen or not! Wed Aug 27 21:46:00 -0700 2008 3992269 92744 invinotheresverde 1 3932257 I think it depends on the drink. For my taste buds it may work in a margarita but less well in a caipirinha or gimlet. Tue Aug 05 13:11:43 -0700 2008 3928618 13330 quazi 2 3932358 What about the cosmopolitan and gin and tonic? Tue Aug 05 13:46:18 -0700 2008 3932257 178360 Faune 1 3941652 Faune, the founder of the historical museum where I am a docent regularly makes Cosmopolitans at gatherings, and floating in the pitcher are lovely circles of limes. I arrived early at one such gathering to help out in preparations, to find her squeezing lime juice from concentrate into the pitcher! She blushed a bit and said "it's important that it look like real lime juice, but I just don't have the time" as she sliced up a single lime and floated the slices on the top. Everyone raved (as they always do) about the tasty Cosmos! I've since switched to the concentrate when in a hurry, with no detrimental effects, although I've found that since it is concentrated you don't need to use as much as with fresh lime juice. Hey, make a few cocktails experimenting with the amount of lime concentrate. You will eventually find the best mix for your tastes -or at least think you did :-) ! Fri Aug 08 13:30:33 -0700 2008 3928618 205148 ideabaker 2 3943235 that made me smile, how clever! Sat Aug 09 10:15:40 -0700 2008 3941652 50431 chef chicklet 3 3944267 Ha, just made Cosmo's with the squeeze lime juice, and the lime wedges, everyone loved them. Maybe those historians are onto something! Sat Aug 09 22:41:33 -0700 2008 3943235 205148 ideabaker 4 3944448 Whats "squeeze lime juice"? is that from concentrate? Sun Aug 10 05:32:30 -0700 2008 3944267 178360 Faune 5 3945110 It is "Sicilia" brand lime juice in a lime shaped squeeze container. Unfortunately I always rip off the paper tags so though I have a few in the pantry I don't know if it is from concentrate, just that it isn't "fresh"... maybe someone else will know. I think if you work with the concentrate as the directions say it'll probably taste the same. Your post encouraged me to make Cosmos last night and all of them came out fine without fresh limes. Sun Aug 10 12:33:09 -0700 2008 3944448 205148 ideabaker 6 3945171 They have the Sicilia brand juice (shaped like a lemon) in the supermarkets by me but only in "lemon" and "lemon & mint". Not in "lime" :( >>>>"Your post encouraged me to make Cosmos last night..."<<<< I'm glad to hear :) I'm gonna give it a whirl with the concentrate. Cheers! Sun Aug 10 13:07:03 -0700 2008 3945110 178360 Faune 7 3945676 Have fun, and don't forget to report back to us to let us know how your Cosmos came out! :-) Sun Aug 10 17:36:45 -0700 2008 3945171 205148 ideabaker 8 3951088 I finally got around to making a Cosmopolitan with the lime juice from concentrate, I used the following recipe: http://www.chow.com/recipes/10215 (but I halved all the quantities, that way if I messed up I don't have gulp down my mistake :) It tasted pretty darn good. It was tart/sour with a slight orangey hint from the Cointreau. It reminded me slightly of the "Sidecar" I made recently with freshly squeezed lemon juice. One thing I have learned though is that if you follow the recipes in the various websites/books for cocktails which contain citrus the result is usually a bit to tart. you have to cut back slightly on the lemon or lime. maybe the people who invented the recipes liked their cocktails very tart. To each his own I guess. next time I'll go a bit lighter on the lime juice. I also noticed that when you order a cocktail at a restaurant they tend to be sweeter. maybe they add simple syrup or some kind of mixer to sweeten the cocktail bit. Tue Aug 12 14:08:18 -0700 2008 3945676 178360 Faune 9 3961263 Faune; so glad to hear they came out well! I too found mine to be a bit tart, and I decreased the lime concentrate and upped the triple sec a bit with better results. Glad to know that Cosmos are possible without fresh lime juice! Fri Aug 15 18:31:19 -0700 2008 3951088 205148 ideabaker 10 3962304 I tried them again two more times, I slightly upped the cointreau and very slightly reduced the vodka and lime juice concentrate. the second time I added a half a teaspoon of simple syrup. Both times they came out really well. Sat Aug 16 10:58:31 -0700 2008 3961263 178360 Faune 11 3968324 I'm interested by what you mean by "simple syrup"... what is that? I'm thinking it is sweet (by the name) but what is it made of? Just wondering if it was a more tangy taste, sweet taste, or "beautifully balanced" :-)? Tue Aug 19 03:30:27 -0700 2008 3962304 205148 ideabaker 12 3968389 Simple Syrup (also known as Bar Syrup, Rock Candy Syrup) is little more then a mixture of sugar and water. It is very easy to make. I use a 1:1 ratio. 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of water. You first bring the water to a boil, then dissolve into this the sugar. Once the sugar is fully dissolved, you remove the pan from the heat and allow it to cool. The resultant liquid is easily stored in a plastic squeeze bottle to make it easy to add to cocktails as necessary. (from Robert Hess' website www.drinkboy.com) Here is Robert Hess' Cosmopolitan, notice that he says you can add simple syrup) http://www.drinkboy.com/Cocktails/recipes/Cosmopolitan.html I used a very small amount of the simple syrup to balance out the cocktail. Tue Aug 19 04:59:52 -0700 2008 3968324 178360 Faune 13 3985743 Mmmmm, I just got back to the states from 2 months in New Zealand (back to summer from winter) and sitting here in the heat reading your post makes me think I'll be making Simple Syrup (and Cosmos) very soon! Thanks for explaining that, I can see how it would add a bit of weight to the drink as well as take the edge off of the tangy-ness! Mon Aug 25 13:22:11 -0700 2008 3968389 205148 ideabaker 14 3990236 No problem, glad that I could be of help. :) Let us know how they turn out. Wed Aug 27 02:17:04 -0700 2008 3985743 178360 Faune 1 3943306 Frozen lime juice concentrate is an acceptable substitute for fresh lime juice. Just make sure that the only ingredient is lime juice. It isn't a substitute for a wedge of fresh lime (eg, for a gin and tonic), since the fresh lime also contains essential oils in the rind. Neither is it a substitute for Rose's, which is a sweetened lime cordial. You can mix gin with fresh lime juice, but you won't get a gimlet. Don't know how serious you are about this, but a dwarf lime tree will thrive in a container on a sunny terrace. If you don't get hard frosts, or if you're willing to protect the tree on cold nights, the Key lime (citrus aurantifolia, aka Mexican Lime, West Indian Lime, Bartender's Lime, etc.) is your best bet. Sat Aug 09 11:03:15 -0700 2008 3928618 58743 alanbarnes 2 3944455 The lime juice from concentrate i have found says it contains 100% Lime juice. Ingredients: Lime Juice from concentrate (water, concentrated lime juice) Lime Oil and Sodium Bisulfite (preservative) is that ok? Sun Aug 10 05:42:19 -0700 2008 3943306 178360 Faune 3 3944805 Yep. That'll work. Sun Aug 10 09:48:02 -0700 2008 3944455 58743 alanbarnes 4 3944971 Thanks :) Sun Aug 10 11:14:54 -0700 2008 3944805 178360 Faune 1 3944887 Nellie and Joe's Key West lime juice in the plastic bottle is about the best substitute if the genuine article is unavailable, out of season, hyper-expensive, or juiceless. It is reconstituted from concentrate. (Why is not clear to me- I live just up the road). Roses is very special purpose because it is mostly a flavored sugar syrup. Sun Aug 10 10:28:20 -0700 2008 3928618 57170 Veggo 2 3944975 >>>>"Why is not clear to me- I live just up the road"<<<< Where is up the road? :) Florida? Thats almost half way around the world from me :) Sun Aug 10 11:18:24 -0700 2008 3944887 178360 Faune 3 3945409 My profile indicates that relative to Key West I live "up the road" in Florida and "down the road" in the Yucatan. Your partial profile indicates that your your home in Illinois is less than 5% of the circumference of the earth from Key West. I thought you might find that comforting....:) Sun Aug 10 15:11:37 -0700 2008 3944975 57170 Veggo 4 3946479 Not Illinois. IL as in Israel :) And I have been to key west, it is beautiful down there! It reminds me of key lime pie hmmmmm :P oh I wish I had limes! I am now looking for a small lime tree :) Mon Aug 11 06:21:32 -0700 2008 3945409 178360 Faune 5 3946916 So, instead you can enjoy those wonderful Jaffa oranges! Mon Aug 11 09:00:12 -0700 2008 3946479 57170 Veggo 6 3948220 Touché Mon Aug 11 15:04:38 -0700 2008 3946916 178360 Faune 6 3949132 Maybe Faune can create a futuristic Cosmo featuring Jaffa Oranges! :-) Mon Aug 11 21:01:54 -0700 2008 3946916 205148 ideabaker 1 3945420 I can't drink anything with a "substitute" for fresh lime juice. If a cocktail recipe includes Rose's Lime, then ok. But I demand fresh lime or nothing, about 99% of the time. This includes Cosmos and Margaritas. Sun Aug 10 15:20:21 -0700 2008 3928618 102095 vvvindaloo