Lime Pickle

Warning: This pickle is very very strong and a little bit bitter. We like to make it at least a year before eating it to allow it to mature and mellow. Luckily, it keeps well.

We've been making this for several years now. The pot we're currently eating is labelled 2007 and is still good with curries and fried tofu sandwiches. It really isn't something for the faint hearted though and should be sampled in tiny amounts with plenty of rice. The hotness can be regulated to an extent, I usually only use 15 red chillies and few or no green chillies but try the full amount if you think you're man enough. It is flavourful enough to carry the heat.

If you can get curry leaves, add half a dozen to the frying spices for added perfume.

20 limes
Salt to taste
15-25 dried red chillies
15g fenugreek seeds
10g cumin seeds
10g mustard seeds
1 tsp. ground turmeric
1 tbsp. mustard powder
8 bulbs garlic (about 80 cloves)
12 green chillies or 1 large sweet green pepper
600 ml malt vinegar (or other 5% vinegar)
4 tbsp. mustard oil (if you can get culinary mustard oil) or rapeseed oil


Cut the limes into wedges or chunks, put into a glass bowl and salt well. I use about 30g of salt in this and consider it a minimum, it is an integral part of the process and product. Cover the bowl and allow to sit for up to 24 hours.

Make a curry powder by toasting the dry chillies, the fenugreek, cumin and mustard seeds for a few minutes and then grinding finely. Don't burn the spices. Fenugreek is very hard. You may substitute a teaspoonful of ground fenugreek if you can get some which is fresh and aromatic. Don't overdo it as an overdose tastes foul.

Mix your curry powder with the turmeric and mustard powder and hold to one side until needed.

Peel your garlic. If you are using fresh green chillies then wipe them clean and remove the stem end. If using a pepper, then take the flesh from the seedy core and slice it into long slivers to look like green chillies.

Heat the oil in a large heavy bottomed non-reactive pan (a stainless steel pressure cooker for example) and toss in the curry powder mix. Add the limes, their juices, the chillies and garlic, give everything a good stir and add the vinegar. Stir again.

Cover the pot and simmer, stirring frequently for about an hour until the lime peels have softened and the sauce is forming, then remove the lid and continue to cook slowly, stirring often, until the pickle is thick and a line can be drawn across the bottom of the pan with the stirring spoon.

Pot into sterile jars and seal immediately. Label and store in a cool dark place for at least 12 months. Makes about 4 jam jars full.