Pickles and chutneys

Most of the pickles and chutneys we make are using our own fruits and vegetables but there are a couple of exceptions, hot lime pickle and mango chutney. 

Hot lime pickle and mango chutney are both favourites,  lovely served with a plate of poppadoms together with yoghurt and mint dip before eating the curry main course.  I also make a spicy aubergine pickle to have with it, but those we grow and I make the pickle when we have too many to eat and don't need any more in the freezer.

We saw hot lime pickle for sale over here, think it was about €4.50 a jar,  the recipe I have uses 12 limes and makes 2 jars.  The first time I made it, they cost  €2.50, the next time was a few months later and in a different shop and they were nearer 3.50.  Maybe slightly out of season or something.  Anyway with a few teaspoons of spices and quite a lot of chilli it's no different from the real - and more expensive -  thing.

Mango chutney is another one we make but buy the fruit,  the last batch I made when John saw two mangos  for a euro - that made 2 jars as well.  

And the spicy aubergine pickle is another tasty one.  Quick, simple to do and tasty although like a lot of pickles you do have to leave it to mature for a few weeks.  Although you can eat it straight away, the flavour is so much better after a few weeks in the fridge.

So the recipes....

First up,


Hot lime pickle
Take 12 limes, juice 4 of them and cut the remaining 8 into small, teaspoon sized pieces.  Put in a bowl with 6 teaspoons of salt. Stir well, cover, put in fridge and  stir daily for 4 days. 

Day 5: dry roast 1 teaspoon each of cumin seeds, mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds and grind.  Add 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder and 5 of chilli powder.  Mix well,  add to lime mix and keep for 3 more days.  After this time the lime skin should be soft, if not keep a few more days.  Put into sterilized jars and keep for a few weeks - if you can!  Fills 2 ex-mayo jars.

Spicy aubergine pickle
Dice aubergines, add 1/2 teaspoon salt and mix with enough turmeric to coat them, then fry in enough oil till they go golden brown (about 5 minutes)   Add chopped garlic, 1inch piece finely chopped ginger root, 3 teaspoons garam masala and 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper.  Simmer till aubergine is soft.  No precise amounts of aubergine to garlic - it's all in the tasting!  Should be quite oily though, the recipe says 2 cups oil to 1 and 1/2 lbs aubergines.  I just make it as and when I have too many aubergines so it's a bit  hit and miss but still tasty.  Bottle, put in fridge and as before, keep it as long as you can as the flavours improve after a few weeks.


Mango chutney 
3 mangoes, peeled and cubed, in a bowl with  200g soft brown sugar,  (I think the darker the better for a really rich flavour) 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric, 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger.  Mix and leave for about 2 hours.  Then put into a heavy-based saucepan with 1/2 teaspoon salt, 2 chopped garlic cloves, 1 large chopped onion, 400ml white wine vinegar and stir constantly till cooked and thickened. (recipe says up to 2 hours but it's never taken that long).  Leave to cool, put into sterilized jars and into fridge.  As before, keep if you can for a few weeks.
Makes 2 jars.


All you need now are some poppadoms, some cucumber raita, yoghurt and mint dip and a very large plate!

Enjoy.