66 replies to this topic

[polarmate]

Yesterday, I put together a lemon pickle using an old family recipe. This pickle is sans oil and is slow-pickled in the sun. Anyone interested in joining me in this? I have a step-by-step with pictures recipe, if anyone is interested.

[Veena]

polarmate, on May 26 2006, 11:21 AM, said:

Yesterday, I put together a lemon pickle using an old family recipe. This pickle is sans oil and is slow-pickled in the sun. Anyone interested in joining me in this? I have a step-by-step with pictures recipe, if anyone is interested.

Very nice blog post, polarmate.  I had tried sun-pickling with lemons (I forget which recipe) a couple of years ago (in California).  The result was a very unsatisfying pickle.  Even though it was summer, the sunlight was just not hot enough to do what it's supposed to on a pickle.  Moreover, my pickle was not able to follow the sunlight everyday as there was nobody home during weekdays.

Veena

[arnab]

my previous lemon pickle was a bit of a disaster. if this one is good for novices/idiots then i may try again.

[polarmate]

My sister is an idiot. She makes this really well. Which is why I decided to join the ranks.

What did you do? And why do you think it ended up being a disaster?

Veena, we have so much sun here that it was worth a try. I prefer this lemon pickle on my bagel and I am down to the last piece of the pickled lemon. The American lemon is different from the Indian lemon - which seems closer to key lime. If this fails, I will try a variation with methi seeds, green chillies and ginger and use key limes instead. I think this should work but it seems to have a lot more water content because of the thicker peel.

[Veena]

Polarmate, how many days of sunning do Indian limbus have to go through in India before the pickle is ready?  I have noted the recipe down and want to try it when I visit.

Veena

[polarmate]

Veena, it's 2 months. Every couple of weeks, open the jar and stir everything about. Taste the pickle and adjust it to suit your taste viz salt and chilli powder. You will know if it is ready before the 2 months are up when you open it up to taste it.

I cheated and opened mine yesterday. The middle of the peel is still white so the salt and spices have not yet reached there. Otherwise the taste is just like what my mother (and now my sis) used to make.

edited: Veena, you will need the juice of 2-3 Indian limboos. I've updated the recipe to read that.

Edited by polarmate, 29 May 2006 - 08:46 AM.

[arnab]

have realized that this recipe is very similar to the one from shanta that i followed last time and which went moldy on me after a while. so i am reluctant to try again. polarmate, are you seeing any fermentation, bubbling? if you have the patience to follow my saga from that link you'll see that happened to my pickle.

[polarmate]

No fermentation. No bubbling. That's something I am watching out for cos I am paranoid about mold and fungus. This recipe is without oil, unlike Shanta's, which is why I am even more concerned as the oil acts like a layer at the top which cuts off air and helps preserve the pickle longer.

My sister makes this every year. And she says it's a no-brainer. So let's see. So far so good.

Did you double-dip when you were eating the pickle? A friend double-dipped into one of my pickles last week. It's almost over so it doesn't matter but I must remember to take the spoon away as soon as they are done!

Were the spoons you used completely dry?

Usually, when we make pickle in large jars, we move some to a smaller jar for every-day use. That way if there is any contamination or exposure to moisture, the whole batch does not spoil.

[arnab]

no oil in shanta's recipe either. and no, i didn't do any no-no's that i was aware of at the time. perhaps it is a seasonal thing and this is something that needs the more powerful summer sun. i'll give it a shot again (though first i must finish this wonderful bottle of mother's brand hot lime pickle i just opened--sorry, jason!)

[polarmate]

oil in shanta's recipe

I haven't tried Mother's. Is it with or without oil?

[arnab]

polarmate, on May 29 2006, 08:07 PM, said:

oil in shanta's recipe

I haven't tried Mother's. Is it with or without oil?

right. i forgot that i added it later--the original recipe doesn't call for it.

the mother's pickle is oil based. aren't all commercial pickles oil based?

we should probably split this to its own thread.

[polarmate]

Priya's Lime Pickle has no oil.

[gingerly]

no more pickles for me for a bit,but if anyone's interested in more lemon recipes,i can post that lemon confit recipe.i've gone through one batch already,and plan to make another soon.highly recommended.

[polarmate]

Please do!

[Nichiro]

Nichiro's Sweet Lemon Pickle

Yellow Lemons............ 1 lb.....cut in 6 each (if large)
Powdered sugar...........400 gms
Salt.............................2 tsp
Chilli Powder.................1tbsp
Jeea coarsly powdered..1 tsp
Turmeric powder..........1/4 tsp
Oil for Tempering .........1 tbsp
Mustard seeds...............1/2 tsp


Method of preparation.

Wash, cut lemons , de seed. set aside.
Powder sugar, add all ingredients in a clean glass bowl. Temper with just mustard in oil.
Fill up in a glass jar. Shake every week for three to four weeks.

Enjoy after that with everything except Thaiyir sadham.

You can increase the HEAT and reduce as per liking by adjusting Chilli powder. I would suggest to use Bedagi/Kashmiri Mirch powder.

Post the feedback please.

Nichiro

Edited by Nichiro, 30 May 2006 - 10:22 PM.

[arnab]

no sunshine requirements, nichiro?

[Nichiro]

arnab, on May 30 2006, 10:14 PM, said:

no sunshine requirements, nichiro?

No Arnab, If I am in California, the room heat will melt the sugar.
In colder places however, you may need to put in sunshine.

If you are in a hurry, then you may put it in sunshine for a week.
This makes lemon peel soft fast. You eat it off fast and the pickle is no more prematurely...Hehehehe

Thanks for your post. I had forgotten Turmeric powder as one of the  ingredients.

Edited by Nichiro, 30 May 2006 - 10:25 PM.

[gingerly]

lemon confit (tom colicchio version)
12 lemons
5 shallots,peeled and minced mixed with
6 garlic cloves,peeled and minced

2/3 cup kosher salt mixed with
1/3 cup sugar
extra virgin oilve oil

wash the lemons,wipe dry and slice very thinly.remove ends and seeds.(if using waxed lemons,plunge in boiling water before using)
spread a layer of sliced lemon in the base of  your container,followed by a sprinkling of the shallot/garlic mixture and then some of the sugar/salt mixture.repeat the layers till everything's used up,ending with a salt/sugar layer.cover and refrigerate for 3 days.use immediately or cover with olive oil and store refrigerated for about a month.
what i like about this confit is that it leaves spicing options open by not including any herbs in the mix.it's the most delicious addition to everything from roasts to simple veggies.mushrooms and potatoes with this stuff are sinfully moreish.
i used more garlic and shallots than called for and will do so again in the next batch.

[polarmate]

Regular grocery store lemons will do for this confit, gingerly?

[gingerly]

regular lemons,p'mate. the last batch i made with very good organic lemons which were going really cheap.they're still affordable so i'll use the same.

[frangipani]

View from my bedroom window:



Pity I have to leave for India tonight; it would have been nice to try Polarmate's recipe. Lots of sun in my kitchen but I can't just leave it like that for a month, no?

Maybe when I come back.

[Veena]

Fran, can you reach out and pluck the lemons through the window?  What a treat!

Have fun in India and do send us 'post'cards from there.

Veena

[Veena]

gingerly, on May 31 2006, 12:31 AM, said:

what i like about this confit is that it leaves spicing options open by not including any herbs in the mix.it's the most delicious addition to everything from roasts to simple veggies.mushrooms and potatoes with this stuff are sinfully moreish.
i used more garlic and shallots than called for and will do so again in the next batch.

Gingerly, do you cook the veggies with the cofit or put it on the veggies as a topping?  What spices do you typically add to to when using with vegetables?

Veena

[gingerly]

i typically add a few slices of the lemon and a spoonful of the shallot mixture to whatever's cooking-fish,chicken,mushrooms,potato,beans..it's also very good whizzed up into a salad dressing with fresh lemon juice providing the acid.it softens and mellows enough to use uncooked after about a week.i can't recommend it highly enough.

edit-forgot spices-typically thyme,sage,parsley,black pepper,coarsely ground red chilli flakes.and one memorable combo(something suman suggested)using lime pickle masala!

Edited by gingerly, 09 July 2006 - 01:00 AM.

[frangipani]

Veena, on Jul 8 2006, 03:04 PM, said:

Fran, can you reach out and pluck the lemons through the window?  What a treat!

Have fun in India and do send us 'post'cards from there.

Veena

Veena, if I could get the window to open, I would! But yes, it's right there and I plucked one today to have with some honey and tea (ran out of milk). It's quite sweetish-sour.

Will 'post' cards!

[gingerly]

aarrgh!what a waste!could you have someone pick and pickle them for you?
have a great trip!

[Veena]

Thanks, gingerly.  I got some very fragrant Eureka lemons today at the farmers market.  I'll give this a shot.  Did you make the lime pickle masala at home or use some commercial one?  I am thinking the masala from polarmate's mouthwatering pickle might go well with this too.

Even after five years of living in California, I haven't gotten over the thrill of seeing lemon and orange trees, groaning with fruit, all over the streets here.  A lot of the fruit just goes to waste, so I was very happy to see these folksharvesting backyard fruit and putting it to good use.

Veena

Edited by Veena, 09 July 2006 - 01:31 AM.

[Rumali Roti]

gingerly, on Jul 8 2006, 03:49 PM, said:

aarrgh!what a waste!could you have someone pick and pickle them for you?

If not, save them for thw lemon-and-spoon-race at the next AS virtual gathering.

[gingerly]

i used this pickle.it has quite a strong fenugreek flavour.
as i said before, this particular confit  leaves spicing options wide open.



edit-another thing,if you cut each slice of lemon in half,you'll find it much easier to arrange level stacks in a jar.like so my first batch was a bit lopsided

Edited by gingerly, 09 July 2006 - 02:24 AM.

[polarmate]

Lordie, fran! That is fantastic!!! What is the aroma like when you leave you window open and the breeze wafts in?

Haven't made Gingerly's confit yet. But will soon! I'm making a lime pickle with ginger and green chillies, cooked in the sun - again, no oil. I was worried about it because there was a lot more water content and it tended to separate out as it sat in the sun. Plus the sun played hide and seek in the pickle's first week. It's going great guns now. Medha is usually by my side when I open it up, begging for a piece of lime.