A traditional Tamil Nadu style Lime Pickle recipe that is a keeper for your recipe box. The longer it sits, the better it tastes. This lime pickle stores for years in a cupboard away from sunlight. It works best with thayir saadham, otherwise known as Yogurt rice – another quintessential South Indian recipe!
Lime – Nutritional Powerhouse of the Citrus Family
Lemons are sour. But limes are both sour and bitter. They belong to the citrus family and are believed to be better for our bodies. Their acidic nature can help ward off diseases and promote a healthy gut! That said, limes do need more time to ferment than your lemon in pickling recipes. This particular recipe calls for more salt, chili, and gingelly oil to counter the lime’s bitter flavor… but the end result is oh-so-good!
Not just for Lime Pickle Recipe
The first time I tried key limes was in an old-fashioned American restaurant in San Diego. I dove into a traditional key lime pie with a simple graham cracker crust. It was the simplest thing ever but it blew me away in one small bite. The secret to that key lime pie was simply the use of fresh ingredients. Lime, butter, cream cheese, and home-baked Graham crackers. The end result was an incredible key lime-infused cheesecake in a brown butter Graham cracker crust.
The bitterness of this little fruit has only inspired me ever since. I drank quite a bit of lime juice during my visit to Puerto Morelos where we had scores of tacos with freshly squeezed limes and cotija cheese. Even the margaritas were so smooth, it was unbelievable! The Mexicans sure know how to use their limes. They were simply the freshest and the best!
Uses of Lime
The key limes may look tiny like gooseberry or amla but it sure packs a punch of vitamin C and is a great way to include Vitamin-C-rich foods into your diet. Another surprising fact is the amount of juice this fruit carries. Thanks to its thinner skin, this fruit actually holds almost as much juice as a medium lemon.
- Slice it up to make a fresh, summer cooler.
- Use it to brighten up your spicy dishes.
- Of course, it works great with your tequila shot!
- Makes a great natural room freshener.
- Squeeze it right on your avocado with a pinch of salt and pepper. I guarantee the avocado and lime love story is simply better than any you’ve ever heard!
Instructions For Lime Pickle Recipe
Because limes are a bitter version of the lemon, this pickle does take a little longer to achieve a palatable flavor. It is perfectly edible from day one. Just that the flavors take longer to meld. The pickle takes at least good 15-20 days to be ready for consumption, unlike the ready-in-a-week lemon pickle. Simply put, the more this pickle sits in its juices, the better it tastes. Add a generous portion of chili powder and gingelly oil. Turn the pickle every now and then (approximately once every 15 days) to ensure the pickle doesn’t dry up in the base.
Side Note: I love these antique-style pickle jars from Exclusive Lane. They are fairly small and will hold a little more than a cup of a pickle. The best part about these jars is they remind me of home and make for a unique statement piece on my dining table!
Lime Pickle Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Glass Pickle Jar Do not store in metal containers.
Ingredients
- 8 Key Limes or Limes
- 1/4 cup Red Chilli Powder
- Salt to taste
- 3/4 cup Gingelly Oil
- 1 tbsp Mustard Seeds Optional
Instructions
- Wash and dry the limes thoroughly. Moisture can cause mold.
- Chop up limes into 1-inch pieces and add to a pickle jar.
- Mix salt. Cover with lime pickle jar with the lid.
- Stir the lime pickle every day for a week.
- Add the red chilli powder and combine well.
- Heat the gingelly oil on the 8th day. Add mustard seeds, if required. Allow the seeds to pop in the hot oil.
- Store the pickle jar away from sunlight.
Notes
- You can use both key limes or limes
- I prefer Kashmiri Mirch chili powder
- Add salt according to your preference. As a rule, pickle requires more salt and Indian pickles must taste saltier than the ocean. Salt cooks the lime naturally and prevents mold from forming on the pickle. Doing this allows the limes to absorb the salt evenly.
- You should stir the pickle every now and then. This redistributes flavor to the entire jar and allows stagnant oil on the top to saturate the drier bottoms.
- Add more gingelly oil as and when it dries up.
I make this recipe and a few other pickle recipes every summer for a year’s supply of pickles. Do give this recipe a try and let me know your thoughts!
