Perfect Lime Pickle

This is my recipe for lime pickle and even though it takes about a month before the pickle is ready for eating, it's worth the wait. This recipe makes a decent quantity which should last a while, unless you're like my friend Steve who eats it with everything. The last batch I made I decanted some from my large jar into smaller jars for gifts and gave away 5 jars of pickle and I still have plenty left for me. Use a glass screw top or lever top jar for storage. This pickle can last for a year or more but I guarantee you'll just keep eating it.

Ingredients
12 limes, preferably unwaxed

4 tblsp salt

10 small dried chillies, any heat you prefer

1 tsp fenugreek seeds

1 tsp nigella seeds

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

asafoetida - a pea sized amount

2 tblsp white vinegar (can use any other you like)

2 hot type fresh red chillies (optional)

zest of one unwaxed lemon (optional and not needed until pickle has 'proved')

Method

Finely chop the dried chillies and put them with the fenugreek seeds, nigella seeds and asafoetida into a heavy bottomed frying pan. Dry roast over a gentle heat until the chillies and seeds are hot to the touch. Do not over roast or they will become bitter. Set aside to cool. 

You need to retain as much juice from the limes as possible and the help release juice from each lime, roll the lime firmly on a wooden board before chopping it into small pieces. I would cut each lime into at least 16 pieces. Once all your limes are cut up, put the retained juice into a jar with the vinegar.

After washing your jar in hot water, sterilise your pickle jar by placing a small amount of asafoetida in a dry pan, heat up until smoking and place the jar upside down over the asafoetida and allow the jar to fill with smoke. Leave it for 2 minutes and your jar is ready for use.

Grind your now cool chillies and seeds in a mortar and pestle to a fine powder, add the turmeric powder, this is your masala mix. If you want to use the fresh chillies, finely chop them (include seeds) but keep separate from the dry mix.

Sprinkle a layer of masala mix over the bottom of the jar, add a layer of limes, a few fresh chillies and add a good 1/2 tsp of salt, keep layering in this way until all the masala, lime, fresh chillies and salt are used up. Finish by pouring in the juice and vinegar mix. 

Seal the jar and set aside for 3 days. On day 4, stir well with the handle of a wooden spoon, do not use metal. Stir the mix every other day for 25 - 30 days after which the limes should be beautifully soft and the pickle delicious. 

If you have good weather you can speed up the process by placing the jar in sunlight for a few hours, cover the jar with a muslin cloth or tea towel. To add a little extra zing and summer freshness, once the pickle has proved add the zest of a lemon.