Lemon or lime is one of the most useful fruits that comes in season twice a year. One can take advantage when lemons or limes are very cheap and make lemon squash, lemon syrup and lemon pickle. One can even freeze the juice in cubes and use when necessary for cooking, marinating and baking, etc.

Nimboo pani or fresh lime juice and a little sugar dissolved in water is a very popular drink in our country, which is most refreshing during hot weather. Lemon squash prepared according to these recipes does away with the necessity to look for fresh fruit every time one needs a cool and refreshing drink, especially when they are not available.

Lime or lemon squash

Ingredients:

6 lbs juice

12 lbs sugar

12 lbs water

8½ grams potassium meta bi-sulphite

Method:

Mix the above juice, sugar and water until the sugar is completely dissolved. Dissolve potassium meta bi-sulphite in warm water in a glass cup. Add this to the syrup and mix very well. Fill in sterilised bottles and seal the cap tightly.

Can use after three weeks.

Lime or lemon syrup

Ingredients:

1 cup juice

3 cups sugar

Method:

Put the ingredients in a pan and heat just enough to dissolve the sugar. Remove from fire and cool. Once cooled, fill in bottles. Grated rind and small amount of juice sacs or pulp may be added to improve the flavour.

The syrup can be used immediately.

Lime pickle

Ingredients:

100 limes

8 oz chilli powder, coarsely ground

8 oz rai (mustard), coarsely ground

4 oz zeera (cumin seeds), coarsely ground

2 oz methi (fenugreek), coarsely ground

1 oz kalonji (onion seeds), coarsely ground

2 tbsp haldi (turmeric)

6 oz garlic, peeled and crushed

1 lb. salt

2 lbs cooking oil

For bagar, one tsp each of zeera, kalonji, rai and three or four sprigs of curry leaves (curry patta).

Method:

Cut the limes into four sections. Apply half the salt and leave them in a jar. After a day or two, empty the entire contents in a plastic bowl and separate the liquid from the lime. Heat the oil and make the bagar with the curry leaves, zeera, kalonji and rai. Then add the crushed garlic and fry a little. Remove from the fire and lastly, add the dry ingredients. Add the remaining salt and the strained lime juice. Put in the lime pieces, mix well and taste for salt and chillies. Fill the jar and leave to marinate.

Can be used after two weeks. This can keep well for a year.

Sweet and sour lime pickle

Ingredients:

125 washed and dried limes

1/2 seer (625 grams) chilli powder

2 chtk (pinch) haldi (turmeric)

2 chtk (pinch) zeera (cumin seeds), roasted and pounded

2 chtk (pinch) rai (mustard) roasted and pounded

1 tbsp methi dana (fenugreek seeds)

1 seer (1¼kg) salt

2 bottles vinegar

1 seer (1¼kg) sugar

2 chtk (pinch) garlic, peeled and crushed

1 cup oil.

Method:

Boil enough water in a big saucepan. Turn off the flame. Drop the limes in it and remove after five minutes. This cleans the skin of the limes and also softens them. Leave to cool. Slit each lime into four sections without separating them. Fill the limes with enough salt in each and leave them in a stone jar for two to three days.

Remove the limes from the jar and separate the liquid. Heat the oil and fry the crushed garlic for one minute. In another bowl, mix all the dry ingredients except the salt and make a thick paste with the help of the juice from the jar. Mix in the fried garlic and the salt. Fill each lime with this masala and place them in the jar. Add the remaining masala, if left over. Mix vinegar and sugar well in a bowl and pour over the limes in the jar. If masala is found to be thick, dilute with lime juice or vinegar.

Seal the jar and store for two weeks before use. This can keep for the whole year.

This recipe was originally published in Dawn’s Tuesday Review on August 25, 1992.

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