Spicy Lemon Pickle Food

LEMON PICKLE RECIPE (4 INGREDIENTS)

Steps:

• Firstly rinse the lemons very well in water. Then place them in a clean plate or kitchen towel and let them dry naturally at room temperature.
• You can even wipe dry them very well with a clean kitchen cotton towel or napkin.
• Before beginning with the recipe making, do make sure that your hands, chopping board, knife, kitchen towels, bowls, spoons and jar are clean and moisture free.
• Later take each lemon and cut four sides but keeping the lemon intact and whole. Do not cut through completely. Cut all lemons this way.
• Squeeze a bit of juice - about ¼ to ½ teaspoons from each lemon piece into a bowl. But do not squeeze the lemons too much - you want them to keep their shape and fullness.
• Set the bowl of lemon juice aside to use later. Adding some lemon juice helps to preserve the pickle.
• If the seeds drop when you squeeze the juice, then remove them with a small spoon and discard. If the seeds remain in the lemon, then simply let them be. No need to remove them.
• In another plate or bowl, take 1 tablespoon carom seeds (ajwain), ½ tablespoon red chili powder and 1 tablespoon salt.
• Mix very well and set aside.
• Now with your fingers or a small spoon stuff this spice mix in each lemon. Set aside.
• Place the lemons in a clean glass jar. You can sun dry the empty jar for 1 to 2 hours if you want.
• Now remove the seeds and pour the lemon juice which was in the bowl in the jar.
• Add leftover spice mix if any on the stuffed lemons in the jar.
• Sprinkle some salt (about ½ to 1 teaspoon) all over the lemons. This is essential so that the lemons don't spoil during the pickling process.
• Cover with a lid and keep the jar in sunlight for 4 days. Every day shake the jar.
• The tangy lemon pickle will be ready after 4 to 5 days and then you can serve it with your meals.
• Store the lemon pickle in an air-tight jar in your refrigerator. Do not keep it at room temperature. When you want to serve, remove it with a clean dry spoon. Close the lid of the jar and keep it back in the refrigerator. This lemon pickle keeps well for a month when refrigerated.

LEMON PICKLE RECIPE

Steps:

• Optional - If using fenugreek seeds, roast 1 tsp seeds on a low heat until they turn fragrant and deep golden in color. Cool this and powder finely. Measure ½ to 1 tsp powder for this pickle and set aside.
• Rinse the lemons well until running water and wipe dry with a clean cloth. Air dry them preferably overnight to ensure they are moisture free.
• Ensure the chopping board, knife, bowls, spoons and pickle jar are clean and moist free. Do not use moist surfaces or cutlery while you make the pickle to avoid spoilage.
• Chop 200 grams lemons to desired sizes and deseed them gently with a small fork or a knife.
• Extract the lemon juice from the rest of the lemons (another 200 grams) and discard the seeds.
• Spread the chopped lemon pieces on a clean tray and sun dry them for at least 5 hours. If you do not have sunlight, then put the tray in the oven and turn on the oven at 40 C (104 F), at the lowest possible settings in your oven for 1 hour, shake the tray after 30 mins. Keep the oven door ajar (little open) through out to avoid moisture building up inside.
• At the same time, spread red chilli powder, salt and turmeric in a tray. Keep it in the sun for 1 hour or in the oven at 40 C or 104F (without salt) for 20 mins. Keep the oven door ajar (little open) through out to avoid moisture building up inside. Remove the tray and place on a wired rack so the ingredients don't sweat.
• Also keep the lemon juice in the sun or in the oven. If keeping in the sun, spread a thin muslin cloth over the bowl of lemon juice.
• Before you make the pickle, cool down all of the ingredients including salt. This step is very important. They will become warm or slightly hot after keeping in the sun/ oven.
• Add the lemon pieces to a clean glass or ceramic bowl or jar.
• Pour the lemon juice, add 1 tbsp salt and turmeric.
• Cover and rest it for 1 to 2 days at room temperature in a dry clean place. Avoid keeping this in a humid atmosphere like in kitchen. Keep it in the living.
• Stir the lemon pieces together with chilli powder and ½ to 1 tsp methi seeds powder. Cover and set aside.
• Heat oil in a pan until hot enough. Then add mustard, red chilies and crushed garlic.
• Turn off when the garlic is fried to crisp and golden. Add hing and cool down the oil completely.
• Pour half of the oil to the lemon pickle and give a good stir. Taste it and add more salt and chilli powder if needed.
• Transfer this to a glass bottle. Pour the remaining oil over the pickle.
• Press down the pickle so the oil floats on top. Ensure there is a layer of oil over the lemon pickle as this helps in a good shelf life.
• Cover with a lid and refrigerate the lemon pickle for better shelf life.
• It takes 10 to 20 days for the lemon pieces to be ready. When the pickle is ready, the lemon pieces will soften.
• Always use dry spoons to serve the pickle. Wipe clean the sides of the jar with a clean tissue after every use. Ensure most of the lemon pickle is under the oil at all times. This helps in preserving the pickle for longer.

HOW TO MAKE LEMON PICKLES

Steps:

• Gather 10 to 12 small ripe lemons. You can use any type of lemons that you like, including conventional or organic. Many people even like to use Meyer lemons, which are a cross between a lemon and a mandarin orange, although they can be difficult to get your hands on. Whatever type of lemon you choose, make sure they are nice and ripe so that they have a lot of juice inside. Squeeze each lemon and make sure that it gives a little. This shows that it is nice and juicy.
• Sterilize a quart-size (1 liter) canning jar. When pickling lemons, it's important to use a clean container that will not introduce bacteria into the food. To avoid this, clean your jar and lid well with soap and hot water and then submerge them in boiling water for 10 minutes. If you don't have a quart-size (1 liter) canning jar on hand, a smaller one or a different type of jar will work. However, you will just have to cut down your ingredients to fit the size you have. Once the jars and lids have been boiled, lay them out on a clean towel to dry.
• Clean the outside of the lemons. Scrub the lemons so that you remove any wax, pesticides, or residue that is on the surface. You can simply rinse them under running cold water, scrub them with baking soda or vinegar, or use a commercial fruit and vegetable wash. You can use a kitchen scrubber or brush to clean the lemons.
• Slice the lemons into 1⁄4 to 1⁄2 inch (0.64 to 1.27 cm) slices. Cut each lemon in half horizontally. Place the flat cut surface on your cutting board so you can easily cut off the stems and dispose of them. Then make 1⁄4 to 1⁄2 inch (0.64 to 1.27 cm) slices all along the length of each piece.
• Remove all the lemon seeds. Look over each piece and use the tip of your knife or your fingers to take out all of the seeds. The seeds are not good for eating and should not be included in the pickle.
• Mix the lemons slices with salt. Put the lemons in a bowl and pour in 1/4 cup (68 grams) of salt. Stir the salt and lemons together until all of the lemons are coated. You can use any type of salt you have in your kitchen. However, pickling salt is good because it doesn't have additives that can cloud up your pickle. On the other hand, sea salt and kosher salt contain natural minerals that can enhance flavor. As the lemons are coated with salt, they will begin to give off more liquid. This is normal and nothing to worry about.
• Let the lemons sit in the jar on your counter for about a week. Put your coated lemons into your prepared jar and put on the lid. Keep the lemons at room temperature to start the pickling process. When the whites of the rinds are beginning to become translucent, you can move on with the process. Shake the jar a few times daily to ensure that all of the lemons are coated in the salt and are beginning to pickle. The number of days you let the lemons sit can vary. Some people let the lemons sit for only a few days. Just remember that the goal is to let the pickling process start without any seasonings added, which can hinder the lemons absorbing the salt.
• Cook your seasonings in a dry pan on low heat. Gather about 1 tablespoon of dry seasonings and 2 tablespoons of any garlic and chilis you want to add. To bring out the flavor of the dry seasonings, cook them in a dry pan on low heat until you can start to smell them. Seasonings that really do well with this type of treatment include mustard seeds, coriander seeds, and carom (ajwan) seeds. If you are adding fresh garlic and chilis to your lemon pickle, cook them in a small amount of canola oil to bring out their flavor and reduce the heat of the chilis a bit. Cool the seasonings to room temperature before adding them to your jar.
• Stir the seasonings into the jar and place it in the refrigerator. Pour your room temperature seasonings into the jar of lemons. Then stir everything together until it is well blended. At that point, put the lid back on the jar and put it in the fridge for several more weeks. Once your lemons have turned translucent and are soft and pliable, they are done and ready to eat. Some people keep the jar at room temperature, since the amount of salt in the lemons keeps them from spoiling. However, it is a better food handling process to keep them cold in the refrigerator just in case pieces of lemon are not fully submerged in the salty liquid.Tip: Use your lemon pickle within a year.

SPICY LEMON PICKLE

Steps:

• Heat lemon wedges, water and salt to boiling in 2-quart saucepan; reduce heat. Simmer uncovered 12-15 minutes or until lemons are tender and water has almost evaporated; remove from heat. Stir in ground red pepper.
• Heat oil and mustard seeds in 6-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Once seed begins to pop, cover skillet and wait until popping stops. Add hot oil mixture and remaining ingredients to lemons; mix well.
• Cool pickle 20-30 minutes. Tightly cover and store in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
• DRY-ROASTING FENUGREEK SEEDS: Heat heavy 6-inch skillet over medium heat about 2 minutes. (Hold hand, palm down, about 4 inches above bottom of skillet. It should feel warm.) Add seeds to skillet and cook 30-60 seconds, stirring constantly, until seeds turn reddish brown and have an almost nutty, slightly bitter aroma. If grinding seeds, which you are in this recipe, let cool 1 to 2 minutes, then grind in a spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle.