Spicy African Preserved Limes
- 25 limes
- 1 cup coarse salt (koshering salt, 250 ml)
- 4 tablespoons mustard powder (60 ml)
- 1 tablespoon hot pepper flakes (15 ml, or a hot pepper powder such as cayenne, some recipes add up to 5 oz, use to to taste)
- 1 tablespoon turmeric (15 ml)
- 1 tablespoon fennel seed, crushed (15 ml)
- 2 tablespoons coriander seeds, crushed (30 ml)
- 3 ounces mustard seeds, yellow (90 g)
- 2 1/2 cups sunflower oil (625 ml, any cooking oil you use, but not olive)
- Wash the limes and dry them, then cut into wedges. In a glass bowl, mix them with the salt.
- Cover with clingwrap and store in a cool place for a week, or until the lime wedges start discolouring.
- Mix all the spices together, add to the limes, and toss well. Cover again, and let stand for another 2 - 3 days.
- Sterilise a large canning jar by putting it in a cookie (or other tin) in a cold oven and heating the oven to about 300 deg F/ 150 deg C or more. Leave jar (or 2 - 3 smaller jars) at that heat for at least 10 minutes, or until you fill the jar. It has to be very hot, otherwise it will crack at the next step.
- Heat the oil in a pot (be very careful not to burn yourself) until it is very hot and starts to smoke. Please watch the oil!
- (Keep the lid of the pot handy -- if the worst happens and the oil catches fire, slam on the lid. This will kill the fire immediately).
- When the oil gets to really hot, take the sterililised jar or jars out of the oven, and pack in the lime wedges. It's best to use tongs.
- Pour the smoking hot oil over the limes, and seal with a lid.
- Store at room temperature for at least a week before using.
limes, coarse salt, mustard powder, hot pepper, turmeric, fennel, coriander seeds, mustard seeds, sunflower oil
Taken from www.food.com/recipe/spicy-african-preserved-limes-421829 (may not work)