The preparation of this lemon pickle is very quick and simple – the time is in the natural drying process. It is sweet, sour and spicy all at the same time and complements cheese and pasta as well as curries. It really is sunshine in a jar.
By Reena Pastakia
London is sweltering in a heat wave at the moment and Reena Pastakia has been making the most of it by making batches of her family’s lemon pickle. The preparation is very quick and simple – the time is in the natural drying process. It is sweet, sour and spicy all at the same time and complements cheese and pasta as well as curries. It really is sunshine in a jar. 
Lemon Pickles
Description
It is sweet, sour and spicy all at the same time and complements cheese and pasta as well as curries. It really is sunshine in a jar.
Ingredients
- 5 unwaxed lemons
- 5 teaspoons chilli powder (less if your chilli powder is very hot)
- 3 teaspoons turmeric
- 3 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon asafoetida
- 250 grams sugar
- 2 tablespoons light tasting vegetable oil
Instructions
- Place the lemons in a pan and cover them with water. Place a lid on the pan and bring the water to a boil. Let the lemons simmer until they are very soft – in the region of 20 minutes.
- Drain the lemons and let them cool until they are easy to handle.
- Now cut each lemon in half lengthways. Cut each half into three or four strips and then cut each strip into bite-sized pieces.
- Arrange the lemon pieces on a plate and place them in the sun to dry. They are ready when the skin has become slightly firm and you can see the sugar from the lemon starting to crystallize on the surface of the skin. There should still be some moisture in the lemons as you don’t want the pickle to be too tough. The length of time this will take depends on the weather and the size and variety of lemons. I made these on a glorious sunny day and they had finished drying within 4 hours.
- Now place the dried lemon pieces in a mixing bowl and add all of the remaining ingredients. Stir well. Taste the pickle and add more chilli or salt if required.
- Cover the bowl with cling film and leave to one side. Give the pickle a quick stir if you are passing by. You will notice the consistency of the pickle change with time. It is ready when the sugar has dissolved completely and the mixture is runny. Again the time this will take depends on various factors but don’t be surprised if it takes 2-3 days.
- When it is ready, place in a clean dry jar and store in a fridge.
- Category: Condiment, Side
can i dry the lemons in the oven?
Hi Nil, I’ve tried drying the lemons in the oven before but it doesn’t work very well as the texture was all wrong. Essentially the lemon should be soft and juicy but with a little chewiness. With the oven drying method the lemons are dry and chewy and taste bitter. I think you may need to wait for a heat wave!
Best regards
Reena
Can you please advise approx weight of lemons as they differ in size. Awesome recipe and would like to try it….thanks
Hi Anita, It’s not an exact science but I would estimate 500 grams. I hope you like the recipe. All the best, Reena
Thanks for responding. Can you use limes instead of lemon?
Hi Anita – interesting question. I’ve never tried it. I don’t see why not. Let me know how it comes out! Reena