When I hear the word “pickle” I instantly think “dill” or maybe “bread & butter.” I don’t think “lime” or “miso” or “mango”. My idea of a pickle is the distinctly Euro-American kind that I grew up with. But there’s a world of pickles out there! The Indian Lime Pickle being just one.
After my big batch of Seville Blood Orange Marmalade and jar of Preserved Meyer Lemons, I wanted one more citrus fling before the season ended. On a whim I picked up a big bag of key limes. A key lime icebox pie later, I still had ton of limes. What about a pickle?
Much like preserved lemons, lime pickle is a salted and fermented affair that’s highly flavored with curry spices and hot chiles. The result was nothing short of amazing. This pickle gave me culture shock, kinda like the first time I ate kimchee. This is a pickle??? The bite of the lime zest, pucker of the juice, heady scent of the key limes combined with hot, gingery-spiced, sweet and sour goodness leaves your mouth in a whirl. The only reasonable response is “More, please.”
