Kumquat & Lemon Pickle

This recipe is inspired by Simon Majumdar

Did you know that the skins of citrus are used in Chinese Herbal Medicine to promote digestion and particularly for the breakdown of fats? This pickled citrus is especially delicious in lentil soups or added as a rub for meats.

You’ll need the following ingredients:

  • 15 lemons & 40 kumquats  

  • 4 teaspoons ground turmeric

  • 4 teaspoons ground fenugreek seed

  • 10 garlic cloves (peeled & pureed)

  • 4 inches of fresh ginger (peeled & pureed)

  • 2/3 cup red chili powder 

  • 1 cup salt

  • 1/2 cup sugar 

  • 1 teaspoon asafoetida (labelled “hing” in Indian shops)

Ingredients for the oil tempering:

  • 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil

  • 5 dried red chilies (broken into pieces)

  • 10 curry leaves

  • 1 teaspoon nigella seeds

  • 1 teaspoon mustard seeds

  • 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds

To prepare:

  1. Wash the fruit thoroughly.

  2. Take 10 of the lemons, cut them into ⅛ pieces and place along with all 40 kumquats in a non-reactive bowl.

  3. Juice the remaining 5 lemons.

  4. Add the turmeric, fenugreek, pureed garlic, pureed ginger, chili powder, salt, sugar, asafoetida and lemon juice to the lemon pieces in the bowl. Combine well, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and leave for two hours. 

  5. Heat the oil in a small frying pan.

  6. Add the dried red chilies, curry leaves, nigella seeds, mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds to the hot oil.

  7. When the seeds begin to pop, turn off the heat and allow the contents of the pan to cool.

  8. When they have cooled, add the contents of the pan to the contents of the bowl and combine well.

  9. Spoon the lemon/spice mixture into sterilized jars with a tight fitting lid, leaving about a ½ inch gap at the top.

  10. Place the jars where they will get plenty of sunlight and invert them every day so that the contents of the jars begin to spread evenly and all the lemons get covered in the spice mixture and liquid that is created.

This pickle will be ready to eat in about two weeks, but it is even better if you can bear to wait longer!

Andrea Thorpe