Limes, Persian

The lime variety known as Persian lime has been grown in Iran for many centuries. These limes are widely available fresh. Persian groceries stock dried limes (limu omani) from California (which sometimes have seeds) and the dried lime powder (garde limu omani) made from them. This commercial powder is apt to be bitter, because it contains ground seeds, but it is easy to make your own from dried Persian limes: With a knife, crack open the limes, halve them and remove any seeds. Then grind the dried limes to powder in a food processor, and store in an airtight jar.