The great pretender! Popular in Mediterranean cooking, dried lemons are in fact limes boiled in salt and dried in the sun where they turn darker in colour and develop a dried appearance. Confusing due to their many names, these are what to use when a recipe asks for dried limes, black limes or black lemons. They impart a citrusy aroma and have a sour, slightly bitter taste.

HOW TO USE
Use in a number ways from adding whole to soups (pierce first to allow the flavour to seep out) and stews --they soften in cooking and can then be eaten. You can also grind these into a powder and rub onto meat or seafood. They are perfect for adding to slow cooking dishes as the pungent flavour releases slowly and delicately infuses the entire dish.