![]() ![]() ![]() If your shop-bought limes have a wax coating, it should melt off and stay behind in the pot with the hot brine. Drop them straight from the boiling water into the ice bath and leave them to cool down for a few minutes to stop the cooking process.ĭry the cooled limes with a clean tea towel. Immediately chill to stop the cooking process Once the water is boiling and your ice bath is ready, add the limes to the boiling water for 60 to 90 seconds. But it could be the invisible antibacterial properties of salt that are at play here, so I add 1 teaspoon of salt per 1 litre of water to be safe. It did not make any apparent difference to the drying time, nor did it noticeably impact the final taste. I dried two batches of limes at the same time, one salted and one unsalted. Some sources say to salt the water, others don’t. Let it stand for a minute or so until the water is ice cold.įill a pot with enough water to cover the limes, place the water (without the limes) on high heat and bring to a rolling boil. Place ice blocks in the bowl and top with room temperature or cold water. Use a bowl large enough to hold all the limes. And take care that the seeds don’t escape in your soup or stew when using the black limes whole.įirst, get your ice bath ready. However, if your limes have seeds, simply remove the seeds before grinding the black limes into a powder. ![]() Select limes that are unbruised, though some blemishes are acceptable. Let me know if you also try this method with a citrus fruit other than Persian limes! I’ve even made black kumquats using this method. But I am sure that any lime with thin enough skin can be turned into a mouth-puckering little flavour bomb when dried out. If you are unsure of the lime cultivar you buy, ask your grocer for more information. A quick inquiry to my local supermarket confirmed that the seedless limes I’ve been buying for years are Tahiti limes (a cultivar of Persian limes). Step 4: Dry until the limes are rock hard and dark brown to black.īlack limes are Persian, so it makes sense that fresh Persian limes are the traditional choice.Step 3: Plunge in an ice bath to stop the cooking process.The process is super simple – just follow this black lime recipe for step-by-step instructions. Blanched and then dried in the sun, an oven or a dehydrator, these dark brown – almost black – limes deliver supercharged citrus flavour to any stew or soup. They are also called noomi basra (Iraq), limoo amani (Iran) and loomi (Oman). And the most incredible citrusy smell will permeate your home when the limes are drying in the oven.īlack limes, or dried limes, are common across the Middle East. But that can easily be justified when you make a large batch of these little flavour bombs. Sure, it takes some time and – depending on the weather – you may need to leave the oven on low for extended periods. I am happy to report that the process is as straightforward as it is rewarding. Immediately enamoured of Noor Murad’s Black Lime Tofu recipe – and unable to find black limes in Cape Town – I set out to make black limes at home. Like so many home cooks and cookbook lovers, I was first introduced to black limes by Yotam Ottolenghi and Ixta Belfrage in their iconic cookbook, Flavour. ![]()
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