Ingredients
- 400 g limes.
- 1 1/2 tablespoon salt.
- 1 teaspoon turmeric, ground.
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper.
- 2 allspice, ground.
- 2 1/2 tablespoons white vinegar.
Directions
- 1. Wash and sterilise several 200-300mL jars (see note).
2. Dice the limes, discarding the seeds, into about 1cm pieces, reserving any juice.
3. Carefully pack the flesh into sterile jars. Combine the salt, spices, vinegar and lime juice and pour into the jars over the limes. Seal. Stand the jars in a warm spot, even with a little sunlight, for a week or so.
4. It's important to jiggle the limes often to keep the liquid around them. Once they've softened, store them in the pantry (or a cool, dark spot) for 6 months before using.
Note
Sterilisation: This is a big one. In the age of refrigeration we've often forgotten how much mould and yeast thrive when left unchecked. You can preserve things through excluding oxygen (tight-fitting lids), introducing an acid (pickled foods), and by adding enough salt. But even then it's important to start with really clean implements, and to store things in sterilised jars with sterile lids. So wash your storing jars or containers really well before sterilising.
The Heat Method: Heat kills bugs, and bugs can cause your preserves to lose quality, or even go off. If you want to sterilise just one bottle, or a few jars, you can place them in a saucepan of cold water, on their sides, making sure they're full of water and submerged. Put their lids in there too. Bring this pot to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes. This will kill just about all the bugs you're worried about. The only downside of this method is that it is a little tricky to take hot bottles from a pot of boiling water, though there are special tongs on the market to help you. A good thing to note is that hot sauces and jams.
Matthew Evans suggests not just to buy limes when they're cheap and make a big batch of this Indian-Style Salted Lime Pickle. Serve this zesty condiment as an accompaniment to curries and you're winning!
Ingredients
- 400 g limes.
- 1 1/2 tablespoon salt.
- 1 teaspoon turmeric, ground.
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper.
- 2 allspice, ground.
- 2 1/2 tablespoons white vinegar.
Directions
- 1. Wash and sterilise several 200-300mL jars (see note).
2. Dice the limes, discarding the seeds, into about 1cm pieces, reserving any juice.
3. Carefully pack the flesh into sterile jars. Combine the salt, spices, vinegar and lime juice and pour into the jars over the limes. Seal. Stand the jars in a warm spot, even with a little sunlight, for a week or so.
4. It's important to jiggle the limes often to keep the liquid around them. Once they've softened, store them in the pantry (or a cool, dark spot) for 6 months before using.
Note
Sterilisation: This is a big one. In the age of refrigeration we've often forgotten how much mould and yeast thrive when left unchecked. You can preserve things through excluding oxygen (tight-fitting lids), introducing an acid (pickled foods), and by adding enough salt. But even then it's important to start with really clean implements, and to store things in sterilised jars with sterile lids. So wash your storing jars or containers really well before sterilising.
The Heat Method: Heat kills bugs, and bugs can cause your preserves to lose quality, or even go off. If you want to sterilise just one bottle, or a few jars, you can place them in a saucepan of cold water, on their sides, making sure they're full of water and submerged. Put their lids in there too. Bring this pot to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes. This will kill just about all the bugs you're worried about. The only downside of this method is that it is a little tricky to take hot bottles from a pot of boiling water, though there are special tongs on the market to help you. A good thing to note is that hot sauces and jams.