Finger lime grower hopes for bumper summer crop

Armour may be required to harvest this crop, but finger lime grower Bob Schultz says the only battle he’s fighting is with the thorns. He tells us more about this intriguing fruit.

Bob Schultz checks his crop at Wamuran. Picture: Dominika Lis

ARMOUR may be required to harvest this crop, but Wamuran finger lime grower Bob Schultz says the only battle he’s fighting is with the thorns.

“We have to wear arm protection, a light, virtually impenetrable sleeve. It’s a bit like armour, like kevlar only thinner, and it’s very effective in that nothing goes through it,” Bob says. While heavy protection is needed on the arms, kid gloves are needed for the hands so pickers can gently twist the fruit and remove it from the bush.

“Because the bushes are so prickly, if you don’t put the fruit in your hand and pull it out, it gets scratched and pricked by the thorns.”

Bob’s been growing finger limes on the family’s farm for almost four years in addition to herbs and their main crop — strawberries.

“As you will know from the strawberry disaster this year, strawberries are getting harder and harder to make money out of so we’re trying to grow more herbs, but this is also a long term option as well,” he says.

“Strawberries involve a lot of work each year putting all that material down on the ground and then all the picking, all the packing, all the transport … whereas these finger limes will probably be picked six times a season at picking height, no bending, no trolleys. Most of them have one big flush usually somewhere between January and June. But then things are not so hectic with the strawberries, so it fits really well.”

Bob Schultz's finger limes orchard at Wamuran. Picture: Dominika Lis

He’s planted about 1500 trees, and plans to add 2500 to the orchard in the next 12 months. He hopes each one will last about 15 years.

Unlike strawberries, he won’t have to worry about a glut of fruit at the end of the season because finger limes freeze well and thaw almost instantly. And he’s bought a 20 cubic metre freezer, with a Queensland Rural Industry and Development Authority (QRIDA) grant in readiness.

“It will be full of finger limes once the price drops below the mark when I say ‘no I’m not taking any less than that’,” Bob says.

Chefs are demanding more of the fruit, which is often described as citrus caviar and served with seafood, used in dressings, jams and sauces, drinks and even baking.

Bob Schultz's finger limes orchard at Wamuran. Picture: Dominika Lis

The pulp colour ranges from light green, dark green and pink to dark red, champagne and purple.

“It is an Australian native fruit and I think people should get more interested in them,” Bob says. “They don’t grow like this in the bush. They are more spindly in the wild, with only two or three fruit on them. People have bred them up to be more productive.”

So does Bob eat them? “I don’t. Funnily enough I don’t eat strawberries either,” he laughs.

Fans of the fruit will soon be able to buy it from the Crystal Pearl Finger Limes website.

Visit crystalpearlfingerlimes.com.au