Lemon Pickle

Lemon Pickle

Ingredients: Lemons – 12 medium size Garlic cloves – 20 small to big size, peeled Mustard seeds – 5 tsp Cumin seeds – 4 tsp Red chilli powder – 1 cup Table Salt – ¾ cup Groundnut oil – 1 cup Instructions: Wash the lemons in water in order to get rid of any dirt or dust. Take a kitchen towel and wipe them to remove any trace of wetness. If required, dry them in room temperature for another 15 minutes. Cut all the lemons into smaller pieces based on your preference. I have chopped each lemon into 12 pieces. Fill these cut lemons into a measuring cup and check the quantity. I have got 4 cups of cut lemons. In a small kadai add cumin seeds and saute on medium flame until they start to pop. Then, add them into the blender. Add 4 teaspoons of mustard seeds and saute until they pop. Be watchful as the mustard seeds pop much faster than the cumin seeds. Add them into the blender and allow to cool. Once cooled, blend them together to make fine powder and set aside. Take a big pan and add oil into it. Switch ON the flame and allow the oil to heat. When the oil is hot add 1 teaspoon of mustard seeds and let them splutter. Add peeled garlic cloves and switch OFF the flame. Let the garlic cloves fry using existing heat in the pan. Otherwise, they get burnt easily. Allow the hot oil to cool down under room temperature. Now, add table salt and mix well. Add red chilli powder and mix well. Add ground spice powder (blend of cumin and mustard seeds) and mix well. Lastly, add lemon pieces and mix well until all the spices blend together. Quick and delicious lemon pickle is ready within minutes.

In this process of pickling the lemons aren’t cooked and so their rind will be harder. As the pickle starts to age, the lemon pieces start to absorb all the flavours and the rind starts to soften. It is recommended to consume this pickle after 3 days from preparation to enjoy the best flavour. This pickle doesn’t need any refrigeration and lasts more than a month. TIP 1: Make pickles in small batches and consume fresh. TIP 2: Make sure that you do not use a wet spoon whenever you are dishing out the pickle. Any sort of wetness in the pickle will perish it faster. Always use clean and dry spoon. TIP 3: Do not leave the spoon in the pickle as they get ruined due to the presence of salt and citric acid. Transfer the lemon pickle into a clean and dry glass or plastic bottle. You may also use ceramic containers with a tight lid for preserving pickles. They need to be stored in cool and dry place for longer shelf life. Lemon pickle goes well with rice, dosa, idli, upma, chapati, puri, curd rice, ragi roti etc. The sourness in the pickle is what makes it so special to eat along with any meal. Be it full meals, biryanis or as an accompaniment for hard drinks. It tastes the BEST with curd rice, Upma and Pongal. We, South Indians, consume pickles regularly. Any wedding or buffet meal is always accompanied with lemon pickle. Even our local restaurants leave different types of pickle jars on the table like tomato sauce or salt and pepper shakers at the western hotels.

Do try making your own pickle instead of relying on the factory made ones. Home-made pickles not only taste better but are free from any harmful preservatives. Who would say “NO” to home-made food especially when it’s made hygienically and with so much of LOVE? Many people do not follow the right proportions and claim that their pickle has spoilt. That is one fear factor why they avoid making lemon pickles at home. Follow these simple instructions as mentioned in the video diligently. There is no way you would go wrong. Rather, you would be the first one to smile with JOY to have mastered the skill. Enjoy pickling and please do share your experiences in the comments section.