Spiced lemon pickle

Name: Spiced lemon pickle
Cook time: 30 min
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 1 tbsp whole allspice; 2 tsp whole cardamom; 2 tsp whole coriander; 50g ginger, peeled; 2 large hot green chillies; 900g lemons, halved; 450g onions; 25g salt; 600ml cider vinegar; 675g granulated sugar

Stephanie Alexander

October 18, 2011

Time:< 30 mins

This is from one of my treasured 1980s books, Cooking in the Country , by Tom Jaine, who hails from Devon. I have made this pickle every year for some time now. The only adjustment I make is that I quite like to happen upon a piece of cardamom or cracked allspice in the pickle, whereas he says to bag the spices and remove them. This is how it appears in his book.

Ingredients

1 tbsp whole allspice
2 tsp whole cardamom
2 tsp whole coriander
50g ginger, peeled
2 large hot green chillies
900g lemons, halved
450g onions
25g salt
600ml cider vinegar
675g granulated sugar

Method

Tie the spices in a piece of muslin. Grate the ginger. De-seed the chillies and slice finely. Juice the lemons and then slice the squeezed halves into fine slices. Peel onions and slice finely.
Mix onion, salt, lemon slices, lemon juice, vinegar, chillies, ginger and spice bag in a large stainless bowl and steep six hours or overnight.
Next day select a heavy-based pan and cook everything (except the sugar) gently for about one hour until the lemon skins are really tender. (Once the sugar is added they will soften no more.)
Add the sugar, stir to dissolve and boil briskly for 20 minutes. Bottle and leave for a month before eating.
I have to confess to eating some of the pickle while still warm, with a roast chicken.
Makes 4 cups

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