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Khatta Meetha Nimbu Ka Achar | Sweet and Sour Lemon Pickle

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lemon pickle -Khatta metha nimbu ka achar – A delicious oil free, sweet and sour lemon pickle

lemon pickle- Khatta Meetha Nimbu Ka Achar- -I love to eat and make pickles! I learnt this from my grandmother(Nani), who was an expert in the art of pickling. She would make huge jars of different pickles for all of us, every year.

In India we make a huge variety pickles from both fruit and vegetables, seasonal and year round. Mango and lemon pickle are the favorites and as they have a long shelf life are made in large quantities. 

for making this pickle try to choose lemons with thin peel. if the peel is thick then it take longer time to soften.

I make few different versions of the lemon pickle, and today I am sharing the sweet and sour nimbu achar recipe . This pickle takes about a month to mature and has a long shelf life ( stays well till it ends:) ).

I have also posted-

lemon pickle

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3.55 from 35 votes

Khatta Metha Nimbu Ka Achar /Sweet and sour Lemon Pickle

lemon pickle -Khatta metha nimbu ka achar - A delicious oil free, sweet and sour lemon pickle

Prep Time30 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: North Indian Cuisine, Uttar Pradesh Cuisine
Keyword: lemon pickle, Neembu ka achar
Author: Anjana Chaturvedi

Ingredients

  • 800 grams Lemons / Nimbu Indian yellow lemons *
  • 150 grams Salt / Namak
  • 3/4 tsp Turmeric Powder / Haldi Powder
  • 2.5 tsp Red Chilli powder / Laal mirch powder
  • 1.5 tsp Cumin Seeds / Sabut Jeera
  • 1.5 tsp Fenugreek Seeds / Methidana
  • 1 tsp Mustard Seeds / Rai *
  • 2 tbsp Ginger / Adrak Grated
  • 1/2 tsp Asafoetida / Hing powder
  • 2 cup Sugar / Chini

Instructions

  • Wash and wipe lemons with a cloth,there should not be any moisture on the lemons.
  • Now chop the lemons into small pieces(8-12 pieces from a lemon)
  • In a pan dry roast cumin,fenugreek and mustard seeds to a nice golden colour(dont over do this)on slow flame, then grind to make a powder.
  • Mix salt, turmeric ,asafoetida,1.5 tbs lemon juice and ground spices in the chopped lemon pieces and mix well.
  • Cover the jar and keep at room temperature or in sunlight for a month so the lemon skin will become soft due to the salt.keep shaking the jar once in a day.
  • After a month when lemon peel become soft, add the sugar and grated ginger in lemons and mix well .
  • Cover the jar mouth with a muslin cloth and try to keep the jar in sunlight for few hours daily for approx 2 weeks or till the sugar will melt and the syrup become thick.
  • Serving Suggestions-taste great with paratha,rice and khichdi .

Notes

My Notes-
1-I have used small Indian yellow lemons.
2-If you add sugar in the beginning then lemon peels will take longer time to soften .
3- You may also add some chopped green chilies to it at step 6.

 

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Mahalakshmi

    Ma’am, for double the quantity, should I use 300gm if salt?

    • Anjana Chaturvedi

      250 gm salt will be enough for double quantity

  2. Aditi

    5 stars
    Looks like a great recipe. Can I put the jar in the sun from the beginning i.e. before adding sugar and ginger? Is there a reason why it has to be in the sun after adding sugar but not before?

    • anjanaskc

      yes you can keep in sun from the beginning ,but if the sun is very hot then the moisture evaporates and the lemon will not become soft.As the water released from salt and lemon juice helps to soften the lemon peel.

  3. Sucharita

    Hello!
    In the present recipe of kemon pickle can you please mention the number of lemons of average size that makes 800 gms?

  4. Sucharita

    Hello!
    You have mentioned 800 GMs lemon. Can you please mention it in number of lemons of average size? I have 15 lemons of a size nearly that of a table tennis ball.

    • anjanaskc

      Hello Suchitra – use 15 lemons for the pickle ,approx 5 lemons weigh 250 gms

      • Sucharita

        I am Sucharita and not Suchitra. Thanks for your prompt reply.

  5. Basil Ebrahim

    hello , need to make home sweet and sour lime and lemon pickles. plse fwd the recipe. live in a flat not much sunshine in the flat. can this be done / boiled in a stove in a pot ??? , plse advise urgently , so that we do not have to wait a long time leaving it / the jar in the sunlight.

    • anjanaskc

      hello Basil -sorry this is not the instant kind of lemon pickle ,it is sun cooked and need some time .Will soon post the recipe of instant lemon pickle which you can make by steamed lemons.

  6. Pravin Mistry

    Hi Anjana,
    I have used your recipe for the KHATTA METHA NIMBU KA ACHAR /SWEET AND SOUR LEMON PICKLE as we have a lots of lemon trees here in Spain. So far so good , I have just added the grated ginger and sugar and some chillies so will wait for another 2 weeks. The aroma and taste so far is fabulous, my question is that do I need to put the pickle in the fridge once it is done or can I leave it outside and how long can I keep it in the fridge or outside.

    • anjanaskc

      Thanks Pravin, no need to refrigerate the pickle ,it stays very well at room temperature till it last :)just take care to add the exact measurement of salt and sugar ,they both act as preservatives.

  8. anjanaskc

    @Anonymous-you can keep the jar insight your house ,near a window where it get some sunlight.and if it is also not possible then keep in sunlight when ever you are at home,
    just remember to add the mentioned amount of salt and keep stirring the pickle once in a week.SUNLIGHT IS NOT a big issue for pickling.

  9. Anonymous

    We are working professionals who daily leave home early in the morning. In your pickle receipe for Punjabi mango and lime you have indicated that the pickles need to be kept in sunlight. Will be great difficulty since we not home all day. .. is there any other alternative to manage this

  15. Shekhar

    In the recipe for sweet and sour lemon pickle whatever happened to the asafoetida???

  16. Maayeka

    @Alka you can also make this on stove but the result will be slightly different.chop the lemons and then steam cook them in a closed container till they become soft,then mix all the ingredients and sugar and cook on slow heat in a heavy bottom pan till sugar melts and the syrup become thick.

  17. alkadixit

    is there any way to cook lime on stove top instead of making the chutny in the sun?

  19. Maayeka

    @@Aara the process and ingredients of making mango pickle will be slightly different then making lemon pickle,I have posted aam ki laungi (sweet and sour mango chutney )and Marwari style grated mango and chick pea pickle,check the recipe in my recipe index, try them,I am sure you will like them too,and also posting a delicious punjabi mango pickle recipe next week 🙂
    Take care
    Anjana

  20. Aara Shaikh

    Dear anjana jii I wanted to make this kind of pickle with raw mangoes, is it possible? though i wanted to follow this recipe with lemons, but sudenly there is kgs of raw mangoes poured in at my house, pls do direct me will it come out well enough?

  21. Maayeka

    @Aara Shailh-yes dear you can use any jar except the metallic ones.the pickle stays happily in a plastic jar:)

3.55 from 35 votes (34 ratings without comment)