Help Me Hollow Out Some Limes, Please!!
For a staff party this summer, I made orange slice jello shots, mentioned in an SE thread, I can't find which one. Basically you hollow out orange halves, use them as jello molds, then when they set, slice the oranges so they look like orange slices...you get the idea.
They were a total hit, and I've been asked to make them again for this Friday's holiday party. So I thought I'd make more festive ones: strawberry jello in lime rinds. I've sliced the limes lengthwise, juiced them, and I figured I'd hollow them out with a melon baller. It's not working!! I think the skin is too thin and it's not hollowing as easily as the oranges did.
Any suggestions, please?! I've got to make these tonight as I won't get home til midnight tomorrow...I currently have a dozen juiced lime halves sitting on my counter and no way to effectively hollow them!! I was thinking maybe boiling..would that loosen the skin or just make them soggy?
Add a comment:
Previewing your comment:
HTML Hints
Some HTML is OK: <a href="URL">link</a>, <strong>strong</strong>, <em>em</em>
Comment Guidelines
Post whatever you want, just keep it seriously about eats, seriously. We reserve the right to delete off-topic or inflammatory comments. Learn more at our Comment Policy page.
If you see something not so nice, please, report an inappropriate comment.
Start Talking!
Need a question answered? Have advice to share? Start a Talk topic now!
Sign up to get your questions answered and share advice.
10 Comments:
I was thinking maybe a grapefruit spoon might work. I don't really think boiling would be the way to go, i would think it would change the texture of the skin too much.
Alm25 at 8:01PM on 12/17/08
I agree with the grapefruit spoon. Another possible option is to put them in the freezer just enough to firm things up a bit--think about how it's easier to slice some softer cheeses or raw chicken into nice slices. That just might help you to scoop while retaining the integrity of the lime shell rinds. Just don't let them freeze too much. Hope it works. I'm stealing your idea by the way!
dhorst at 8:28PM on 12/17/08
Are you using key limes or regular limes? The key limes have a thinner skin so it will be trickier. Definitely don't boil. Can you just scoop out what will come out easily with a spoon (freezing/chilling seems like a good idea)? How perfect to they have to be? Have you tried running a small paring knife (tip only maybe) over the inside?
StripeyChef at 8:36PM on 12/17/08
I think dhorst is right -- the freezer will make everything less mushy and make it easier to scrape out the insides. Also, I feel like the edges on the grapefruit spoon might tear right through the think skin of the limes; what about a regular spoon? My grandfather used to peel oranges with a spoon, and an old roommate used to do the same for kiwis (which have practically no skin), so why not?
kfarrel3 at 8:38PM on 12/17/08
I don't know about freezing them. Have you tried using a paring knife, inserting it between the pith and the fruit, the way you would with grapefruit, to loosen it. Then scooping/scraping the fruit out with a grapefruit spoon. Good luck, and be sure to let us know how it went.
Mares at 9:23PM on 12/17/08
The freezing actually worked - I did it for about ten minutes so the pulp hardened a bit, then I used a paring knife for the ends, and was able to peel the rest out with my fingers. It was definitely time-consuming, I don't think I'll do it again, but it worked!!
Thanks! If it weren't for you guys I'd have a big squishy pile of lime peels right now.
embolini9 at 9:33PM on 12/17/08
Oh, and you can thank @valser for the idea!
http://tinyurl.com/33rsmm
embolini9 at 9:35PM on 12/17/08
Glad to help and I'll bet you have some very limey fingers--push back those acid softened cuticles and rub in some soothing lotion. Anything with almond oil and/or honey would be great. Reward yourself for a task well done! And thanks for letting us know how it went. Very good for the end results info.
dhorst at 10:33PM on 12/17/08
glad youre disaster was averted, but I just wanted to add that if you have a grapefruit knife, that would work splendidly. It has a blade of 3-4 inches, a slight bend, and fine serrations, some of them have squared serrations but I like the fine ones
http://www.amazon.com/Henckels-Select-Stainless-Steel-Grapefruit-Knife/dp/B00006C7GO This one was about $10 bucks a couple years ago.
That's a really cool idea for jello shots.
the_o at 12:38AM on 12/18/08
By the way that's ten dollar bucks, it's my new currency, it's kind of like an amero except cooler.
the_o at 2:57AM on 12/18/08