lime-juice lacto-fermentation

i’ve been a slave to the bacteria in kefir and kraut for two years now, indoctrinated into the cult of lacto-fermentation by sandy katz. i’ve crammed strange combinations of vegetables under a salty brine. but i’d never heard of lime juice fermentation until i read some madhur jaffrey recipes. we had less success with a foot-odor-like oil-fermented turnip pickle, but these recipes are incredible. try them. our house is hooked on the peppers.

hot pepper pickle

cram hot peppers, sliced into rounds, into a mason jar. my favorite was a combination of serranos, jalapenos, banana peppers, and poblanos.
salt them as you go and add some flavor (we like black mustard seeds ground coarsely and fresh ginger, chopped finely.)
heat oil (we like mustard oil) – not much, only about two tablespoons. pour over peppers and place lid on. don’t boil the jar.
leave on a sunny ledge for a day or two. shake jar several times per day, more if liquid doesn’t cover them entirely. the peppers should shrink some. add lime juice – a few tablespoons – and leave in the sunny place. (bring them in at night if your sunny place is outside.) continue to shake to ensure even pickling! once they have soured to your liking (a week? two? longer?) refrigerate to slow the fermentation.

they are wildly sour and addictive.

sour lime pickle

slice limes into wedges. arrange in jar. salt and season strongly (we like cinnamon, allspice, cloves, etc.)
pour lime juice over wedges. lid. leave jar on sunny ledge and shake several times a day for about two months.
our first batch will be ready in a few weeks! they already smell intoxicating.

EDIT 4/11: i made FOUR CUPS of this and it barely lasted a month. next time, make two batches. or three.

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