Pickled lime is a food that involves the
pickling
Pickling is the process of preserving or extending the shelf life of food by either anaerobic fermentation in brine or immersion in vinegar. The pickling procedure typically affects the food's texture and flavor. The resulting food is cal ...
of
limes
Limes may refer to:
* the plural form of lime (disambiguation)
Lime commonly refers to:
* Lime (fruit), a green citrus fruit
* Lime (material), inorganic materials containing calcium, usually calcium oxide or calcium hydroxide
* Lime (color), a ...
to
preserve them and add
flavor.
[The Joy of Pickling: 250 Flavor-Packed Recipes for Vegetables and More from ... - Linda Ziedrich](_blank)
p. 77.[Turkish Delight & Treasure Hunts: Delightful Treats and Games from Classic ... - Jane Brocket](_blank)
pp. 12-13.
History
In the 19th and early 20th centuries, pickled limes were exported from the West Indies to areas in the Northeastern United States.
In the mid-19th century, pickled limes were in demand in New York, and by the late 19th century they were mostly exported to Boston.
During this time period, stores would display them in glass jars atop counters and sell them by the piece.
Some customers purchased entire barrels of them at a time.
During the mid-19th century, pickled
Key lime
The Key lime or acid lime (''Citrus'' × ''aurantiifolia'' or ''C. aurantifolia'') is a citrus hybrid ('' C. hystrix'' × '' C. medica'') native to tropical Southeast Asia. It has a spherical fruit, in diameter. The Key lime is usually picked ...
s were exported from Florida to Boston.
Recipe
Pickled limes, as known in 19th century
New England
New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York (state), New York to the west and by the Can ...
and as consumed by the fictional character
Amy in the novel ''
Little Women'' by
Louisa May Alcott, were
key limes
The Key lime or acid lime (''Citrus'' × ''aurantiifolia'' or ''C. aurantifolia'') is a citrus hybrid ('' C. hystrix'' × '' C. medica'') native to tropical Southeast Asia. It has a spherical fruit, in diameter. The Key lime is usually picked ...
cut into chunks, submerged in
brine and allowed to cure for three to four weeks. The importers successfully kept them classified at the lowest import tax rate, making it possible for retailers to sell them for a penny. This made them readily available to children, who commonly carried them to school.
Usage
Pickled limes are sometimes eaten alone, as a snack.
They are also an ingredient in the preparation of some
sweet relishes.
Lime is an essential ingredient of many cuisines from
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
, and many varieties of pickles are made, e.g. sweetened lime pickle, salted pickle, and lime
chutney
A chutney is a spread in the cuisines of the Indian subcontinent. Chutneys are made in a wide variety of forms, such as a tomato relish, a ground peanut garnish, yogurt or curd, cucumber, spicy coconut, spicy onion or mint dipping sa ...
. Preparation depends on region, but the principle remains largely the same: limes are diced, mixed with varying spices such as mustard seed, chili, and turmeric, then tossed with salt and left, covered, in the sun for several weeks.
In the United Kingdom, Indian restaurants often serve
papadum
A papad is an Indian deep fried dough of black gram bean flour, either fried or cooked with dry heat (flipped over an open flame) until crunchy. Other flours made from lentils, chickpeas, rice, tapioca, millet or potato are also used. ''Papad ...
s with lime pickle as a starter.
See also
*
*
*
*
References
Further reading
The Indian Grocery Store Demystified – Linda Bladholm p. 156.
Bulletin - University of Hawaii, Agricultural Experiment Station - Hawaii Agricultural Experiment Station p. 18.
Bulletin of Miscellaneous Information: Additional series p. 99.
{{Citrus
Citrus dishes
Limes (fruit)
Lime
Lime commonly refers to:
* Lime (fruit), a green citrus fruit
* Lime (material), inorganic materials containing calcium, usually calcium oxide or calcium hydroxide
* Lime (color), a color between yellow and green
Lime may also refer to:
Botany ...