Spicy African Preserved Limes

Total Time: 168 hrs 30 mins Preparation Time: 168 hrs Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• 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)

Recipe

• 1 wash the limes and dry them, then cut into wedges. in a glass bowl, mix them with the salt.
• 2 cover with clingwrap and store in a cool place for a week, or until the lime wedges start discolouring.
• 3 mix all the spices together, add to the limes, and toss well. cover again, and let stand for another 2 - 3 days.
• 4 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.
• 5 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!
• 6 (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).
• 7 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.
• 8 pour the smoking hot oil over the limes, and seal with a lid.
• 9 store at room temperature for at least a week before using.