.The crusaders, plagued by scurvy long before the long voyages
of trade inflicted the disease on sailors, brought the lime back
to Europe. One of my own ancestors, Denis de Verteuil, took
part in one of those remarkable religious adventures. Though
he and his companions failed to liberate Jerusalem, I like to
think he was one of the pilgrims who returned with a few lime
seeds tucked in his armour. Not the best source of Vitamin C,
the lime, however, is a natural sea traveler as it keeps a long
time and does not bruise easily. Though some Captains
recognized as early as the sixteen hundreds that those of the
crew who quenched their thirst with limes were healthier, it was
not until 1795 that the juice became compulsory on all British
ships. The practice that gave the Englanders the nickname
“Limey” was still in force in 1955, the last year I myself served
on one of the old Empire's ships.

Dr. Henry Perrine, physician-botanist, planted the first Florida
lime trees on Indian Key where he had gone to conduct
experiments in tropical fruit growing in 1835. The Doctor
was killed by Indians five years later, but his family survived
by hiding in a turtle crawl beneath the burning house.

THERE ARE A HUNDRED AND ONE USES FOR A LIME...

Use the juice, grate the peel or plant the seed and grow a tree.

Slice it, wedge it or quarter it. Here are just a few ideas:

Of course, use lime with tea, iced or hot

Serve lime wedges with Florida oysters on the half shell.

Squeeze juice on oyster before eating.

Lime juice preserves the color of avocados, mangos, bananas
and apples; enhances the flavor of melons and papayas.
‘
A generous dash of lime juice in a cup of beef consomme,
adds excitement to an old stand-by.

‘The afficianado imbibes tequila ritually with salt at the base
of the thumb and a wedge of. lime held gallantly between
thumb and forefinger. One licks the salt, tosses off a shot of
the cactus liquor and sucks the lime, all in one easy, fluid motion

Rub fish with lime before cooking.

Put a slice of lime pierced with a whole clove in the bottom of your tea cup,

Put a dollop of slightly thawed limeade concentrate over your bowl of breakfast berries.

Float very thin slices of lime in clear soup.

Squeeze lime juice over melon balls and top with shredded
coconut for a palate pleasing end to a luncheon.

Before broiling chicken, “wash” in water to which lime juice has been added.