Lime Pickle

Thick fog again this morning, but the first of the almond blossom is on the trees. Spring is coming!
A few days ago while watching the Blue Wrens darting around the back yard, I was thinking that in all the years that I have lived here, I have never seen a Robin Redbreast. This morning darting around in the apple tree was Mr Robin, he must have heard me talking about him! As a lover of Indian food and especially lime pickles, I thought that I would try out this recipe again, as I have lots of limes to use up. This is a lime pickle from Tamil Nadu

Lime Pickle
4 limes, cut into 2cm pieces
1 teaspoon plus 4 tablespoons oil
1 1/2 teaspoons black mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
15 to 20 fresh curry leaves
100mls lime juice
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground asafetida
1 tablespoon salt

Method

Place limes in a stainless steel saucepan and cover with water and bring to the boil. Boil vigorously for 1 minute. Discard the water and repeat the process once more. Put the limes in fresh water and boil again, this time for 20 to 25 minutes. The limes should become tender and discolour. Drain them and put to one side. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a frying-pan over a medium high heat. When hot, put in 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds and the fenugreek seeds. Stir and fry until the mustard seeds pop, a matter of seconds. Remove from the heat and put into the container of a clean mortar. Pound into a powder. put to one side. Heat the 4 tablespoons of oil in a medium sized stainless steel pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add the remaining 1 teaspoon mustard seeds. As soon as they start to pop, a matter of seconds, add the curry leaves. Remove from heat and add turmeric, cayenne pepper, asafetida, salt limes and lime juice. Mix well. When cool, pour into a very clean jar. Cover the pickle and leave, unrefrigerated, for at least a week before using. Refrigerate after 2 weeks. This pickle will keep up to 1 year. 

NOTE:

I juiced the limes before I cut them up because when you cook them I found last time I made this pickle that you seem to loose the juice and flesh from the limes when you drain them. So you may as well use the juice rather than juicing other limes and throwing the skins in the compost.