The Collector of Tales
The Quay
Lime Pickle
Lime Pickle
This is not a traditional leave them in hte sun to rot version. It is quicker , leqaving for only 24 hours and relying upon cooking rather than the suns heat ( which is a bit lacking in the UK). It also uses rapeseed oil rather than mustard oil.
Ingredients
8 limes
1 medium onions diced
100ml rapeseed oil
250ml any light coloured vinegar
1 tbsp ground turmeric
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tbsp cumin seed
1 tbsp ground cumin
3 tbsp mild chilli powder
4 tbsp yellow mustard seeds
4 gloves garlic chopped or 1 tbsp granules
1 tbsp salt
salt for salting the limes
Method
Slice the limes into six or eight segments .Place in a colander in a bowl and salt (3-4 tbsps) and leave covered for 24 hours.
Once the limes have rested for 24 hours drain off any liquid, rinse them and drain again. The drier they are, the better the pickle texture.
Fry the onions in the oil until they are soft and translucent, adding the chopped garlic (if using fresh) after about two minutes.
Add the mustard seeds and when they start to pop add the remaining spices all together. Stir occasionally to avoid sticking and burning
Tip in the limes.
Add the vinegar and mix well and bring to the boil
When the mix has started to boil, leave on a low heat for about an hour or so, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
Spoon into heated sterilised jars and seal. This pickle is ready for eating straight away.
Observations
Vary the spice mixture to suit your own taste. I have made the mix fairly salty as I am relying on salt and vinegar to preserve.
You should wash clean and sterilise the jars before filling and heat them to prevent cracking. I heat mine in the warming oven as that heats and sterilises perfectly.
Not entirely sure how long the pickle will keep so it may be best to keep in fridge and give it a shelf life of two months. I usually only make enough for me to use in a month or two.