Lemon Pickle

Now a days lemon is available in the market around the year I am hoping in your area too not just here in Kathmandu, Nepal. This fruit in the picture which I term lemon is not yellow but its as acidic, juicy and citrusy as lemon by all its nature.  

Lemon or Muntala, fresh hot chili, salt and nice flavor added by timur is that combination of pickle which can make anyone go mouth watering. Bottled lemon pickle can be ready to consume  only after 60 days of bottling of making it but some prefer it when it matures enough. That enough maturation times seems to be minimum of a month keeping it under the sun during winter time or two months after making it. However I start  eating it after ten days.

Ingredients :

Lemon [Green or yellow ] : 350 grams
Fresh chilli  [dallo khurshani : 200 grams
Black salt : 2 tea spoon
Sea salt : 3 teaspoon
Timur : one teaspoon
glass bottle : 500 gram capacity of clean and dry

How to make it ?

• Grind Timur and mix it with two types of salt.
• Cut each lemon in four or eight pieces. Immediately mix it with mixture of salt and timur in a plastic plate or glass bowl.
• 
  

  Make two piece of small round chili [or four piece if the chili is big and long shape. Make sure it has to be super hot].
• Mix the chili, lemon salt and timur proper in a bowl or plate.
• Now fill the bottle, fill it very tightly that you can see juices coming out and filling the bottle during the stuffing process
• when the bottle is filled up to the rim then cover the lid tightly.
• Keep the pickle bottle in a place which gets enough sun for the next two months so that it matures properly under the winter sun. this pickle can be used for more than a year if it last !

Now your pickle will be ready in two to three months depending on the season.

Note :

• Make sure the lid is made of plastic not metal.  Metal lid will spoil scent as well as taste of the pickle. 

• Make sure the lid it properly airtight. This is another way to keep its true flavor inside the bottle. Even the grain of salt on the rim of bottle can cause lid not to tighten properly. So in case of doubt clean the rim with soft cloth and then put the lid.

• Avoid using any utensils that is made of metal when you deal with lemon. Lemon changes its taste and flavor when it comes in contact with metal. Best way is to use glass and melamine  when you work on lemon pickle.