Fermented salted limes are so versatile. You can use them to make a Vietnamese salted lime soda, or mince them up for recipes that need a salty and sour kick. Best of all, a jar of salted limes can keep for years as the high salt content helps preserve the limes.
Some recipes call for keeping the limes whole, and briefly dipping them in a pot of boiling water to soften the skin and kill any microorganisms on the surface of the limes. This recipe doesn’t involve cooking the limes, as the natural bacteria on the skin of the limes will help them lactoferment. The fermentation softens the lime skin and removes the bitterness from the skin as well. This results in the salted limes having a more complex salty and sour flavour.
The limes are well preserved thanks to the high salt content, the high acidity of the limes, and the lacto-fermentation process.
How to Make Fermented Salted Limes
Rinse the limes under the sink, and scrub the skins clean. Dry the limes well with a paper towel.
Cut both ends off of the limes. Cut the limes in quarters.
Pour a light layer of salt onto the bottom of the jar. Dip the lime quarters into your bowl of salt, until they are covered in salt and place them into the jar. Repeat until you have a layer of limes. Sprinkle more salt to cover the limes and any air pockets.
Layer the salted limes in the jar, gently pushing down on the limes to minimize empty space. Add more salt to fill in any air pockets between the limes. The final layer should be of salt. Add more salt if needed to cover the limes and fill in any gaps.
Place the jar on a sunny windowsill and loosely screw the jar lid on. As the salt dissolves, the lacto-fermentation will occur. Press the top of the lid to test if there is pressure in the jar. Release the pressure by gently loosening the lid. There will be hissing and bubbles as the CO2 gas escapes the jar.
When the jar is not actively fermenting (no hissing or bubbling), you can move the jar of salted limes to your kitchen cupboard and and forget about it for the next 2.5 months. Keep the lid a little loose on the jar.
Fermented Salted Limes
Equipment
- 1 1L Mason Jar
Ingredients
- 6-8 Limes
- 2 cups Non-iodized salt Natural sea salt, Coarse pickling salt
Instructions
- Rinse the limes under the sink, and scrub the skins clean. Dry the limes well with a paper towel.
- Cut both ends off of the limes. Cut the limes in quarters.
- Pour a light layer of salt onto the bottom of the jar. Dip the lime quarters into your bowl of salt, until they are covered in salt and place them into the jar. Repeat until you have a layer of limes. Sprinkle more salt to cover the limes and any air pockets.
- Layer the salted limes in the jar, gently pushing down on the limes to minimize empty space. Add more salt to fill in any air pockets between the limes. The final layer should be of salt. Add more salt if needed to cover the limes and fill in any gaps.
- Place the jar on a sunny windowsill and loosely screw the jar lid on. As the salt dissolves, the lacto-fermentation will occur. Press the top of the lid to test if there is pressure in the jar. Release the pressure by gently loosening the lid. There will be hissing and bubbles as the CO2 gas escapes the jar.
- When the jar is not actively fermenting (no hissing or bubbling), you can move the jar of salted limes to your kitchen cupboard and and forget about it for the next 2.5 months. Keep the lid a little loose on the jar.
- The limes are ready when you can cut through the peel with a spoon. The salt should have the consistency of a syrup now. Use your limes to make vietnamese lime soda or chop them up to use in marinades, stews, or salad dressings!
Notes
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