Finger limes: The challenging journey behind the “citrus caviar”

More than a decade before finger limes popped up on restaurant menus, social media feeds, and grocery shelves, Shanley Farms founder Jim Shanley encountered the unusual Australian citrus at a trade show. That chance discovery would lead him to establish the country's first commercial plantings.

What began largely as a retirement project turned into a full-on ag operation, farming crops such as avocados, citrus, coffee, dragon fruit, passion fruit, and now the long, finger-shaped, tangy citrus.

Jim’s daughter Megan joined the family business and took over as CEO following her father’s tragic passing in a 2023 swimming accident while on vacation in Costa Rica.

Shanley Farms finger lime orchards.

The farm’s Director of Operations, Marcus Hunt, describes Jim as a true steward to the community and a hopeless foodie.

"He was one of those guys that just didn't want to grow anything like everybody else. He wanted to find unique fruits that would create memories and build markets around it," he told FreshFruitPortal.com. Hunt works directly with Megan and her husband Justin, who now manage the farm.

While buyers were intrigued by the fruit's pearl-like vesicles, retail shoppers remained skeptical, Justin said. Foodservice, however, quickly embraced the specialty citrus, which soon earned the moniker “citrus caviar,” and made its way into high-end restaurants, hotels, and leisure destinations. 

Finger limes used as a topper on nigiri sushi.

The farm continues to evaluate new genetics and work with researchers to develop improved varieties and rootstocks better suited for commercial production.

Harvesting finger limes: A thorny affair

Today, Shanley Farms grows two finger lime varieties sold under the company’s trademarked Citriburst brand. Champagne, the original cultivar introduced from Australia, is planted in both the company’s Morro Bay and Visalia operations, while the newer Emerald variety is grown exclusively at the latter. 

The Champagne variety features a dark red skin with golden-pink pulp and mandarin notes, while the Emerald has deep purple-black skin with vibrant green juice vesicles and a strong, acidic flavor. Beyond their distinctive appearance, finger limes have attracted attention for their potential health benefits. 

“[Australian] native people used it as an antiseptic, and it is very dense and nutrient-rich,” Hunt noted. “[Finger limes have] lots of vitamin C, A, E, and B12, as well as organic essential oil compounds. One finger lime has three times the amount of vitamin C as a mandarin.”

While consumers have been slower to adopt the product, interest from chefs has kept growing, prompting Shanley Farms to continue investing in production. However, the work proved far more demanding than conventional citrus.

Finger lime trees carry dense thorns, requiring workers to harvest by hand while wearing protective gear. 

“There's no assembly line that's custom to finger limes. Still to this day, everything's still hand-picked, hand-packed, hand-sorted, and hand-graded,” Hunt stressed.

The company also continued refining its marketing strategy, redesigning packaging to showcase the fruit better while pursuing exposure through chefs, television appearances, social media, and specialty food channels. 

Hunt said appearances by Chef Masaharu Morimoto on Iron Chef, sales through QVC, and exposure on Fox's Farmer Wants a Wife have all helped raise awareness.

Even so, the company continues searching for the formula that will consistently drive retail sales.

Ready for retail

Today, Shanley Farms believes the production side of the equation is no longer the limiting factor for finger limes to finally break into Americans’ shopping baskets.

The company's earliest commercial orchards, planted about 14 years ago, have reached full production, allowing it to supply nationwide retail programs while continuing exports to Canada, Europe, China, and Japan.

Shanley Farms' finger lime packing logo.

"We have enough fruit to bring on all the big retailers and ship nationwide for four to five months," Hunt stressed.

And this year’s harvest may mark another milestone.

"It’s a great crop this year in our Morro Bay area. We're expecting record yields," he concluded.

*All photos courtesy of Shanley Farms.

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