Rose's lime juice facts for kids
Rose's lime juice, often called just Rose's, is a sweet, thick fruit juice. It was first made in 1867. This was the world's first fruit juice concentrate sold to everyone.
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Why Sailors Needed Lime Juice
In 1753, a doctor named James Lind found something important. He learned that eating citrus fruits could cure scurvy. Scurvy was a serious illness common among sailors in the British Navy. These sailors often spent weeks at sea without fresh food.
Limes were chosen over other citrus fruits. This was not because they had more vitamin C. It was because they were easier to keep fresh for a long time.
From 1795, sailors on long trips in the Royal Navy got a daily serving of lemon or lime juice. This led to non-British sailors calling them "limeys" in the early 1800s. To keep the juice fresh, a small amount of alcohol was often added.
How Rose's Lime Juice Started
Lauchlan Rose (1829–1885) worked with ships in Leith, Scotland. In 1865, he found a way to keep lime juice fresh without using alcohol. He patented this method in 1867. He realized that using sugar instead of alcohol would let many more people buy his product.
The first factory making lime juice was called L. Rose & Co. It opened in 1868 in Leith, Scotland. The factory was close to the Old East Dock, a big port for the Royal Navy. This helped bring in limes, which do not grow in the UK. At first, most limes came from Dominica in the West Indies. In 1893, Rose bought farms there to make sure he had enough limes. Later, limes also came from parts of Africa, in the area now called Ghana.
In 1875, the company grew a lot. It built a new main office in London, but still made juice in Leith. In 1940, during The Blitz (a time of bombing in London), the main office moved to St. Albans. This was because the London Docklands were a main target. After World War II, the company sold more products in the UK. In 1957, Schweppes bought the company. Later, in 1982, Schweppes bought another company called Mott's.
When Cadbury sold its drink businesses in the US in 2008, Rose's became part of a new company called Keurig Dr Pepper.
What is Rose's Lime Juice Today?
In the United Kingdom, Coca-Cola Enterprises Ltd. makes and sells Rose's Lime Juice Cordial. In New Zealand, the label says it's made by Coca-Cola Amatil (NZ) for Schweppes Holdings Ltd. It also says that Schweppes Holdings Ltd has a Royal Warrant from HM Queen Elizabeth II. This means they are official suppliers of soft drinks to the Royal Family.
Most limes for Rose's now come from Mexico and Peru.
The ingredients in the modern US product are water, high fructose corn syrup, lime juice concentrate, a preservative (sodium metabisulfite), natural flavors, and Blue 1 food coloring. In New Zealand, the list is water, lime juice from concentrate (32%), sugar, food acid 330, and preservative 223. When mixed with water (1 part juice to 4 parts water), it contains 6.4% fruit juice.
Other Rose's Products
Over the years, the company added other products to its line. These include a non-alcoholic triple sec, grenadine, and sweet and sour mixes. In the early 2000s, they added a line of flavored martini drink mixers. In 2006, the company also started making mojito flavorings.
You can also find a licensed brand of lime marmalade in the United Kingdom. A lemon cordial is sold in New Zealand, and a passion fruit cordial is available in South Africa.
The current range includes the original concentrated squash or cordial and also ready-to-use diluted drink mixers.
See also
- Gimlet (cocktail)
- Lime cordial
- List of juices
- Rose's (marmalade)
