Lemon Pickle - Amma's Recipe

Name: Lemon Pickle - Amma's Recipe
Total time: 7200 s
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 25 fresh medium or large sized lemons; 150 g Rock salt; for masala; 150 g dry Byadagi chilli / Kashmiri chilli -; 50 g dry round chilli; 1 chunk of compound Asafoetida (cherry tomato size); 1 tbsp fenugreek seeds; 200 ml sesame oil

Prathi's Zaaika.. @prathiszaaika

UAE

Today I am sharing here my mother's lemon pickle recipe without any artificial preservatives which can be stored for years together. I have a jar of lemon pickle prepared by her that has been preserved well from past 6 years! Though I am yet to get the same skill like her, I managed to prepare it twice & it came out well not until my daughter broke the jar! If prepared with right quantities of ingredients and also avoiding water contact during the whole process, this lemon pickle can be preserved well for years together. The quantity of ingredients can be doubled accordingly if you want to prepare in bulk.

Prathi's Zaaika.. @prathiszaaika

Saved

Ingredients

2week + 2hr

25fresh medium or large sized lemons
150 gRock salt
for masala
150 gdry Byadagi chilli / Kashmiri chilli -
50 gdry round chilli
1chunk of compound Asafoetida (cherry tomato size)
1 tbspfenugreek seeds
200 mlsesame oil

Saved

Steps

2week + 2hr

1

Choose juicy, undamaged and fresh lemons. (Preferably the Indian variety, here I have used Thai variety) Wash the lemons well and pat dry in a clean towel. Spread it on a clean, dry towel and let it air dry for 1 hour. Wipe it again and set it aside.
The vessels and cutlery that is used for preparing the pickle should be completely dry. Even the hands need to be dry. A small drop of water can spoil the pickle. If prepared perfectly the pickle can be preserved for years together.
2

Take a dry knife and cut each lemon to 8 pieces. Retain 2 lemons. Transfer all the cut lemon pieces into a clean, dry glass jar. Add 150gm of rock salt and squeeze the juice of 2 lemons retained earlier into the jar. The peels can be added to the same jar. Cover the lid tightly and keep it for 2 weeks. Once in every 2 days mix the lemon pieces with a clean dry ladle.
3

After 2 weeks it's time to add the masala. The lemon has been well soaked in salt (brine) for 2 weeks. Again ensure that whatever utensils and mixer jar is used to prepare the masala needs to be dry.
4

Heat 200 ml of sesame oil in a deep pan for 8 to 10 min inbetween medium and low flame until it smokes. Switch off the flame and let it cool down completely. Heat around 1 tbsp of sesame oil in another shallow pan in low flame. Add a chunk of Asafoetida and fry till it changes the colour. Remove it and set it aside in a dry plate. Then add fenugreek seeds to the same oil and saute till it splutters & remove it quickly to the same plate.
5

Next fry the red chillies in the same oil until the colour changes slightly and the chillies puff up. Switch off the flame and allow all the ingredients to cool down completely. Now powder the fried chillies, asafoetida & fenugreek seeds finely in a dry mixer jar. In a wide dry plate, mix the powdered masala with the sesame oil (200 ml) that was heated and cooled earlier. Add the brined lemon pieces too and mix well with a clean & dry laddle. Check for the salt and add if necessary & mix well.
6

The lemon pickle is ready. It can be stored in the same glass jar. Start using it after 2 weeks.. by then, the strong flavour of chilli dies down and the lemon pieces would have incorporated all the flavours. It can be stored at room temperature or can be refrigerated for years. Since this pickle is made of natural preservatives, ensure to use dry spoon for serving to enhance the storage period.
I bet you will love this pickle.