Nimbu Ka Khatta Meetha Achar | How to make Sweet Lemon Pickle

Do you love teaming poori with a Nimbu ka Khatta Meetha Achar?

Sweet Lemon Pickle is my favorite achar and I can have it with Khichdi, paratha or chapati. This Sweet Lemon Pickle, flavored with Red Chilly powder, carom seeds, Black Pepper, and Black Salt (Pink Salt) is made the classic way by adding sugar to balance the tanginess of fresh lemons..

Lemon Pickle or Nimbu ka Achar (as we call it) is an easy oil-free recipe that is a popular Indian condiment and goes well with several Indian dishes.

This gluten-free vegan recipe of Sweet Nimbu Achar does not need any addition of oil and can be easily made with very few ingredients. Made with a slow process of fermentation, this sweet lemon pickle is perfectly tangy, spicy and sweet. Trust me, the patience is rewarding with the fail-proof recipe of lemon pickle.

Why Would You Love This Recipe?

• A perfect Indian condiment made from scratch.
• Tried and Tested Recipe.
• Oil Free Pickle.
• Gluten Free and Vegan Recipe.
• Minimum and easily available Ingredients.
• A Winter Pickle that can be easily preserved for years. My Lemon pickle jar is going to be 2 years old!
• The Best Sweet Lemon Pickle Ever!

Ingredients

• Lemon- is the star ingredient of this pickle recipe. In India, we make this lemon pickle during the months of December and January. This is the time when we get fresh Kaagji Nimbu (thin-skinned lemons) that are large in size and are very juicy. Since their skin is thin, they can easily be softened up by keeping them in sun.
• Salt- is the main preservative for making this pickle. I start by adding salt to washed and dried lemons. This step makes the lemons soft and tender. I have used both normal salt and pick salt in this recipe of nimbu achar.
• Spices-Spices used in making this achar are Ajwain (Carom Seeds), Black pepper, and Red Chili. I have generous with red chili powder. (You may see in the pics below). If you don't like the heat, reduce the chili at least by 70 percent.
• Sugar- balances the spicy, salty and tangy flavors. One may skip sugar but then this pickle would be very tangy and spicy. I would suggest adding less sugar to begin with. Sugar dissolves in sun. Taste it after it gets mixed in the pickle and add more if need be.

Best Time to make Lemon Pickle

The best time to make Nimbu ka achar is the months December-January. During winters in India, we get easy access to large and juicy lemons that have thin skin and they are the perfect choice for making a pickle.

Is this an Instant Achar?

No, it's not an instant achar. This lemon pickle recipe makes use of the long process of fermentation and is the best way to make this amazing tangy pickle that is rich in Vitamin C and doesn't hurt your throat like the market ones.

Expert Tips

• The first and important factor for making the pickle perfect is presence of sunlight. I begin making any pickle by keeping the veggies (here lemon), jars, spoons in sun for drying up. Given a peak winter season in India in the month of January, it's tough to get things dried up soon without the sun.
• An ounce of moisture can lead to spoiling up of all your hard work. Make sure to dry everything before beginning with this recipe of lemon pickle.
• Have patience as this is a slow process. We start by adding salt to raw lemons. It takes about 20 days for their skins to become tender and be ready for the next step. Adding sugar and getting it mixed in sun takes another 20-30 days. This may vary depending upon the quantity of lemons used for making the pickle.

People on low-sodium diet should definitely avoid any kind of pickle as pickles have extra salt which can be harmful to them.

Recipe Insights

Its my family recipe and we have been making this pickle from ages. First, you dry lemons and chop them in any shape. Add just salt and keep it in airtight jar for few days.

This totally depends upon the sunlight you get at your place (also the quality of lemons) It took around 15 days for me to get the peel softened.

I kept the jar in sun almost daily. For salt ratios, I referred to Nisha Madulika's recipe.

Then, add sugar and spices. Mix well and keep again in sun for few days. From the heat of sun, sugar would mix up slowly and gradually.

Storage of This Nimbu Achar

Since the pickles are made using a fermentation process, they can be preserved for a long duration. Depending upon the type and process used to make pickle, determines this closely.

Lemon pickle has no oil and I have jars kept at room temperatures for over one year. Generally, I start making it in the month of January, it gets ready by the end of February and it goes well for a year and I make another batch.

Stories From Kitchen

Do you begin your day with poori, kaddu and nimbu ka achar?

Trust me you have missed one fine Indian delicacy. Born in a Punjabi family, I had access to several jars of pickles and yet to date my favorite is Lemon ka khatta meetha achar.

My daughter loves it too and in toddler days when she won't eat anything, she would happily eat poori with pickle's gravy. Gradually, I started making spinach, beetroot pooris to make sure she got more nutrition other than Vitamin C.

Detailed Recipe

Step 1 Wash & Dry Lemons

Wash lemons under the tap and keep them in sun for a day for drying up. I also wash jars and sundry them. Once fully dry, take a kitchen cloth or tissue paper to clean the lemons and jars.

Then chop lemons in quarters and add kala namak along with plain salt.

Step 2 Add Salt to Lemons and Keep in Sun

Mix salt well and transfer the lemons to the jars. Keep the jars in sun for 15-20 days. The sun ensures that the lemon skin becomes soft, shrunk, and tender.

Step 3 Spice and Sugar It

Once the lemons become dark yellow and tender, you may add sugar and spices: Red chili powder, black pepper, Ajwain (Carom seeds) and Garm masala. I like it both sweet and spicy. One may adjust as per the taste.

Keep the jars in sun again for 10-15 days.

4) It takes about a week for sugar to dissolve in sun's heat. The patience pays and the lemon pickle is ready! Enjoy!

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