Limes Dried Whole are limes picked at their ripest and dried to lock in maximum flavour and aroma. Dried limes are light-tan to brown in colour and are strongly flavoured. They taste sour and citrusy like a lime but they also taste earthy and somewhat smoky and lack the sweetness of fresh limes. Because they are preserved they also have a slightly bitter, fermented flavour, but the bitter accents are mainly concentrated in the lime's outer skin and seeds. These are commonly used in Middle Eastern Cooking to counteract yet compliment the warm spices used in Middle Eastern dishes.