limepickle.com has been hacked.

Limepickle hacked! I had been on my food travels again and returned some time ago to find a mess.

Over two hundred comments (217 exactly) have been changed by someone advertising spice kits! Something I had said and still intend to do after many questions regarding sources for reasonable quantities. Particularly in the UK.

Suffice to say links and goodness knows what else had been damaged. The detail doesn’t really matter, the damage to limepickle.com had been done.

What’s really annoying is that I have always tried to keep a good repore with the many regular readers that limepicke.com has. To lose their comments is dreadful!

So what’s happening to the website Limepickle

Over the last few weeks, time has been spent recovering what can be. Most of the articles and graphical content I still have and they are now restored.

I have moved the website to a new provider not that old is to blame in the slightest.

The move just feels like a fresh start and there are other benefits too! Limepickle.com will now load much faster than it previously did because of cloud delivery. If you need website hosting, have a look at NameCheap. We certainly recommend them.

I am taking the opportunity to give the website a lightweight visual ‘makeover’. The new menu is just the start. You will see quite some changes here on the home page.

Some of the categories will be consolidated to make things easier to find.

Others will disappear completely but that’s no bad thing. It will keep the website more on-topic!

…….and then it will be back to business as usual.

Please bear with me while I complete the work on limepickle.com and get it back to where it needs to be!

It will take me a little while!

Kind regards

The post Limepickle.com was visited by a hacker! appeared first on Limepickle.com.

On a trip to the Philippines recently I came across Sampalok or Tamarind Jam for the first time. My taste is more savoury than sweet but I thought I would try it! What an eye opener!

Tamarind Jam is without doubt the best jam I have ever tasted and ate quite a lot, straight off the spoon! Delightful!

About Tamarind Jam

Tamarind Jam is a rich dark brown in colour. It has a thick texture with pieces of the fruit adding to its overall richness.

The jam’s is relatively sweet though it has a slight tartness too! A really unique taste.

Although the jam can be used as any other conventional jam, it is also used as an ingredient in other recipes particularly when cooking meat. It adds a sweetness coupled with a slight sourness that goes well with lighter coloured meats like pork and chicken.

Other uses include its use as a condiment eaten with cold meat dishes and added to rice to before serving. The flavour it adds to other foods is subtle and very different from Tamarind the spice.

Home made Tamarind Jam in the Philippines

Marilou and husband Loreto live in a stunning area next to the sea. I was amazed to see Tamarind trees growing in their garden amongst many other varieties of trees and palms. What a paradise!

I will put up a separate post with more photographs.

I watched as the Tamarind pods were harvested by Loreto and not much later a delicious smell started to waft around the place. Loreto was making Tamarind Jam and it was bubbling on the stove!

The Jam was delicious, in some part to the fact that the Tamarind had been harvested only a couple of hours earlier, but it was also home made without preservatives or any other additives which to me always tastes better!

The family certainly have a passion for food and everywhere I went, I was presented with different dishes from the cuisine of the Philippines to try. A great hospitable and friendly family.

Thank you all for making my short trip to the Philippines a gastronomic delight amongst many other good things!

A Recipe for Tamarind Jam to try yourself!

Here is a very easy and quick recipe for Tamarind Jam. I don’t know where in the UK you can buy Tamarind pods as was used in the Philippines but I used Tamarind in its block form that almost every supermarket now stocks.

The Ingredients you need for Tamarind Jam

200 grams of Tamarind
100 grams of natural cane sugar
6 Tablespoons of water
Small pinch of salt

Method for making Tamarind Jam

1 – Heat the Water until hot
2 – Add to the tamarind and let it soak for a few minutes
3 – Remove the tamarind seeds
4 – Stir in the Sugar
5 – Boil and stir until the consistency is thick
6 – Put the Tamarind Jam into sterilised jars and seal.

Enjoy your Tamarind Jam!

The post Tamarind Jam appeared first on Limepickle.com.

What’s So Special About Limepickle?

Talking to a friend of mine over an Indian meal in a Restaurant about limepickle or the lack of it among the condiments available to eat with poppadoms! I don’t remember having been to an Indian restaurant where limepickle was not on offer!

Brian, who is seriously into Indian food, wasn’t too concerned about the lack of limepickle because he doesn’t like it! He does however know that limepickle it is a passion of mine and politely asked me what was so special about it. Well there was an opening I couldn’t refuse!

Different Limepickle Recipes, Flavours And Textures

At one time, most Indian families made their own limepickle, amongst other pickles, to recipes that had been passed down from generation to generation.

Each generation adding or refining the original recipe a little. Enough to produce a unique version of limepickle but keeping the characteristics of the original.

The traditional limepickle recipe on this site is one example!

Dry Salt Is Used To Start Most Traditionally Made Limepickle.

Most limepickle recipes start by cutting up the limes and then adding seemingly fairy large quantities of salt to them to start the fermentation process.

This is known as the dry salting method and is common way of pickling all manner of foods stuffs, particularly fruit and vegetables.

It works by the salt extracting the juices out of the lime to produce brine that starts fermentation process. A by product of the fermentation process is lactic acid and consequently lactic acid bacteria also grow. Both aid the preservation process and souring in the case of limepickle.

In some recipes, vinegar is added at this early stage along with spices. Typically turmeric amongst others.

Adding Spices And Oils To Flavour And Finish The Limepickle

Whatever limepickle recipe you start with as a base, you can always add additional spices to the lime pickle. You can also use different oils. You just need to be careful that any oils such as mustard oil are food grade and not for external use only!

Look at the ingredients in the traditional lime pickle recipe on this site and vary them. Some suggestions are made.

One suggestion I would make is to consider splitting the pickle after the main fermentation has finished into several smaller jars and vary the spices added in the finishing stage. Experiment until you find the ideal taste for you.

One note of caution when experimenting. Mustard in ground form, split seed or whole seed is an antimicrobial agent. Be wary of reducing the quantity of mustard significantly.

Changing The Lime pickle’s Texture

The smaller the pieces of lime you start the pickle off with, the smoother and finer the texture of the limepickle will be.

This because the smaller pieces allow the fermentation process to soften and to some extent dissolve the peel better.

If your recipe uses either whole or split mustard seeds, consider grinding half of the quantity. You will find that the texture is much smoother though the pickle’s taste a little hotter. This can be counterbalanced by reducing the initial amount of chilli and then increasing it to your taste.

Different Limepickle Recipes

The differences between the numerous cuisines of India are significant and reflect the diverse cultures of the various regions. Each has its own specific gastronomic specialities

The influences on the differences cuisines can be prompted by various factors such as geographical location, local culture and what the local produce may be.

Consequently recipes and the end product vary significantly

Lime and other pickle recipes are numerous and very different depending on where they came from. I must have several hundred in my collection. Some I’ve collected on my travels, others have been given to me and so on!

The magic of limepickle is that it is never the same and home produced is definitely the best! It’s not hard to make a good pickle. It just takes a bit of patience.

Other posts about limepickle on this site

Lime pickle recipe
Good News About the Lime Pickle Recipe!
Using Lime Pickle to Add Spice to Food

The post Limepickle appeared first on Limepickle.com.

A great conversation about chilli sauce

While at Covent Garden Real Food market last Thursday with the Old Hatfield Pickle Co, I met a chap called Shola who was very obviously into his chillies and particularly chilli sauce.

We discussed the various types of chilli in the chilli sauce range and the differences in taste, degree of heat and colour. Anyway, I gave him my card and we parted company because it was getting quite dark, almost 19:00, the time the market closes.

Out off the blue I received a really nice email from Shola asking what he could do with Scotch Bonnet and Jolokai chillies. The pertinent part of the email is below.

“Please can you email me suggestions for Scotch Bonnet chilli and Jolokai chilli. It was great talking yesterday.looking forward to hearing from you. There is more information on these two great chillies in the post entitled Hottest Chilli Peppers.

All the best for weekend ahead.”

After some thought about the hundred and one things you can do with chilli peppers especially when you’ve got two of the hottest chilli peppers the only reasonable thing was a chilli sauce.

You can cook with a chilli sauce, use it as a marinade or a dip. A chilli sauce was the answer to ‘Suggestions for Scotch Bonnet and Jolokai chillies’!

So Shola, without giving too much away because I help one or two companies with their chilli sauce, here are some tips and things I would consider before I’d made anything.

My opinion and breakdown of what makes a great chilli sauce

Firstly you have to decide what sort of chilli sauce you want make. Here is my view of what you need to think about before you concoct or start putting a chilli sauce together.

My chilli sauce rules

I guess these rules reflect what I personally like in a chilli sauce so I wouldn’t expect everyone to agree! I’ve put them in this sequence because they follow the order in which our senses are tickled.

The labelling is not under discussion here but it’s important to consider bearing in mind it’s on of the visual aspects that sets our expectation of a chilli sauce or any other product for that matter.

First we look at the chilli sauce, then we take the lid of container and sniff the chilli sauce. We pour it out or poke a toothpick into it and look at its consistency.

The last thing we do is taste the chilli sauce before it blows our socks off and we reach for the milk!

The visual appeal of a chilli sauce

The first visual impression is the decision point at which we decide whether or not to investigate the product further. If the chilli sauce fails that first test we move on to the next product. Game over!

So what is visual appeal? The short answer is it’s what the chilli sauce looks like but I think there is more to it than that!

If you break that down, you get colour which can be solid or speckled. Speckled suggests that there are small pieces of chilli in the sauce.

Although the picture is not very good, you can see red flecks in the bottle Eaton’s Yellow Bonnet chilli sauce on the left. The flecks in the chilli sauce give an indication of the delights yet to come!

A lot of chillies are red though it’s not always the case as we all know. The colour should reflect what’s in the bottle or jar. The darker the colour, the more mysterious the sauce which creates interest and suggests that the chilli sauce is hotter. Definitely not always the case!

If dried chilli peppers are used, the sauce naturally be darker or have dark flecks depending how it has been cooked.

The other important factor to me is viscosity. How quickly does the sauce move in the bottle or container which tells me how thick the sauce is.

The thickness of a sauce has implications of how concentrated it is. It is easy to thicken a sauce and many are!

The aroma of a chilli sauce

OK, so the chilli sauce has passed its visual test and we now open the bottle or jar and our sense of smell kicks in. We sniff the sauce!

It’s an important test because we have probably bought the chilli sauce at this point based on what it say’s on the label and the visual aspects but we can still reject it if it smells disgusting.

If it’s that bad we are unlikely to buy it again. A short sales goal was achieved but a potential loyal customer was lost. We bin the chilli sauce, put it at the back of a cupboard or even complain about it!

What should we expect? Again its just an opinion but I would expect to sniff the true aroma of the chilli which is probably fruity. I would also expect to get a sense of how hot the chilli sauce is likely to be.

For the sake of an example, when you sniff the Eaton’s sauce you get both. It’s exactly what it says on the bottle. My expectation was met and I am now a great fan of that particular sauce.

The consistency of a chilli sauce

We have touched on this when talking about visual appeal and should have a good idea of how thick the chilli sauce is.

It’s a matter of personal taste like all matters relating to food and with chilli sauce, depends on what you want to do with the sauce.

If it’s a table sauce, then it needs to be reasonably thick. If the sauce is going to be used purely for cooking, then does it matter?

The taste and heat of a chilli sauce

I think the taste and flavours of the chilli should be quite pronounced in a chilli sauce. A good blend of spices that complement and enhance the chilli pepper’s taste works well and should be delivered before the chilli heat.

A chilli sauce that just delivers heat without taste is of little value in my opinion but that’s just my view.

So how hot does a chilli sauce need to be?

Again just an opinion but the chilli heat should reflect the type of chilli peppers being used and not enhanced out of proportion. If it’s a Scotch Bonnet based chilli sauce, it should deliver about 350,000 units of heat at the very maximum.

Another approach is to reduce the heat and let the chilli flavours be the main feature of the chilli sauce.

In summary, there are a lot of variables when making a chilli sauce and you can change it to be exactly what you want.

What doesn’t change are the perceptions of a chilli sauce and how our senses deliver and influence key decision making points when we buy one. They all vary from person to person and the trick is to ensure the right boxes are ticked for the majority of people.

Regards

Chris Nizzi

PS As I said in the first place, this is just my opinion. If your view of chilli sauce is different, put it in a comment!

The post Suggestions for Scotch Bonnet and Jolokia chillies. A chilli sauce! appeared first on Limepickle.com.

Mustard can be both used as a spice and as a condiment. this article includes information about the mustard plant, a brief history of mustard and other interesting background information on mustard.

The mustard plant and its seeds.

The mustard plant has vivid yellow flowers, each flower having four petals and generally flowers in early spring.

Mustard is a member of the Brassicaceae or Cruciferae family as is Horseradish. The name Cruciferae which is the older name for the family, refers to the four petals growing in the shape of a cross.

The mustard seeds grow in pods and are anywhere between 1 and 3 mm in diameter dependant on the type of mustard.

In ideal growing conditions which are cold and damp, the mustard seeds germinate within a week. In the commercial world, mustard plants are allowed to mature into bushes from which the pods containing the mustard seeds are harvested.

Varieties of mustard seeds, colours and tastes

There is a wide variety of mustard seeds, however from the culinary perspective only three types are in prominent use. White, brown and black mustard seeds. All have a fiery taste but to different degrees.

White mustard seeds

White mustard seeds (sometimes called yellow mustard) vary in colour from a pale yellow, almost off white to light brown, they are very hard, almost spherical and vary in size between 1 to 2 mm in diameter

The pods of Sinapis alba, the white mustard plant, grow vertically, are hairy and contain a maximum of 6 seeds. White mustard seeds do not have the pungent odour of other mustard seeds and although they do have a sharp taste, it is not as strong as others.

White mustard is cultivated for two purposes. Agricultural and culinary use.

Black mustard seeds

Black mustard seeds are almost black in colour. They are very small with a thin brittle but hard shell.

Unlike white mustard, the pods of the Brassica nigra plant are smooth and contain up to 12 of the tiny seeds which are about 1 mm in size.

Black mustard seeds have the most pungent and sharpest taste.

Brown mustard seeds

Brown seeds are often referred to as Indian Mustard and are the produce of the Brassica juncea plant. In colour, these seeds vary from a light to a dark brown and are very similar in size to black mustard seeds.

Their taste is sharp and hot but not to the same degree as black mustard seeds.

General information about mustard

The origin of the word mustard

The name mustard emerged from the variety of English dialects spoken between the eleventh and the middle of the fifteenth century. Mustard was then known as moustarde, a combination of the old French words moust and ardens.

Most English names are associated with a place or occupation. Mustard or Moustarde is thought to have referred to someone who dealt in or traded in spices.

The producers of mustard seed

The European Union is the world’s largest mustard seed producer and accounts for 34% of the world’s production. Following in descending order are China with 23%, Canada with 19%, India producing 14% and the Ukraine producing 5% of the world’s mustard seed production.

Further information can be found in this year’s Mustard Seed Report.

Allergies to mustard

Some people are allergic to mustard though according to the Food Standards Agency it is quite a rare occurrence in the UK as opposed to mainland Europe and in particular France.

The UK Food Standards Agency have an excellent section on food intolerance. This link will take you to the mustard allergy page.

Use this link for additional technical information on mustard allergy on the EEC funded ‘Infomall’ website which is specifically about allergenic foods and very detailed.

A brief history of mustard

Mustard as a crop is believed to have been first cultivated approximately 5 thousand years ago in India though possibly originating in the Mediterranean.

References to mustard being used as a spice, condiment and herbal medicine can be found in most of the great civilisations and religious works. These records seem to start about two and a half thousand years ago.

This brief history of mustard recounts the most famous.

Mustard and the Romans

The late 4th century Roman equivalent of today’s cookbooks entitled ‘Apicius’ includes a recipe for a condiment that used ground mustard mixed with other spices and herbs in wine.

Greek mustard records

Pythagoras (circa 565 – 490 BC) the famous Greek mathematician and scientist is known to have used mustard to counteract scorpion stings.

Hippocrates (circa 460 to 365 BC) regarded as the father of modern medicine, used mustard as a treatment for toothache and in poultices. The oath known as the Hippocratic Oath is taken by all newly qualified doctors today.

English references and mustard events

In the 17th century, the town of Tewkesbury in the UK became famous for its mustard although mustard had been made there since the 15th century.

Tewkesbury mustard was originally made in the form of solid balls which were made out of a mixture of ground mustard seed, plain flour and horseradish. The mustard balls were dried and then sold.

In the 18 century, Mrs. Clements invented the method of preparing mustard flour or powder, which was known for a long time as Durham Mustard. This method extracted the full flavour from the seed, and Durham Mustard became hugely popular.

Falstaff in Shakespeare’s play Henry IV states ‘his wit’s as thick as Tewkesbury Mustard’

Spiritual references to mustard

The parable of the mustard seed is narrated in three of the four traditional Gospels. Matthew, Mark and Luke. The fact that the tiny mustard seed grows into a large plant is compared to the growth of the faith and the Kingdom of God.

Mustard is also referenced in the Quran where the tiny size of the mustard seed is used to practically illustrate the smallest injustice and that God will judge everything no matter how small on the Day of Judgement.

As mustard is a very common spice, Buddha told a grieving mother who wanted to find a cure for death, to find a handful of mustard seeds from a household that has never lost a family member or friend. Being unable to fulfil the request, she learnt that death is a common event to everyone.

How we use mustard seeds

We use mustard seeds to make our range of mustard condiments. We also use them in our Indian pickles.

The statement that we use mustard seeds to make the condiment may seem like an odd thing to say. Not all mass produced mustards do! Some use vinegar to achieve the taste and turmeric for the colour.

The condiment mustard

We use various varieties (Usually black, white and brown) of mustard seeds. Different mixtures of mustard seeds are used dependant on the mustard being made.

If the mustard is a smooth variety as opposed to a wholegrain mustard, we grind the seeds into a powder or flour before mixing it with fluids like honey, cider, beer, vinegar, water or wine to make the individual base mustard.

Once herbs and spices have been blended with the base mustard, it is allowed to mature for several weeks to enable the full taste, texture and aroma to develop before it is bottled.

Indian pickles.

We currently make two types of Indian pickle though there are others are in the making. Mild Lime Pickle and Lemon Pickle.

We use split mustard seeds in both which soften during the six to eight week maturing process so they are easy to eat!

The Old Hatfield Pickle Co’s range of mustards

The Old Hatfield Pickle Co’s range of mustard condiments is growing as they blend new mustard flavours to compliment different foods and culinary uses.

Their mustards tend to have subtle flavours and generally are of a mild to medium hotness. the Old Hatfield Pickle Co believe that mustard should enhance and complement the food it’s being eaten with rather than obliterate its taste.

That’s not to say that their mustards are meek and mild! The range includes traditional English mustard and another based on an Elizabethan recipe. Both could be described as quite warm!

We make our mustard in the traditional way in small batches allowing plenty of time for them to mature before they are offered up for sale.

The following make up our mustard range. Golden Honey, Clove Spiced, Spicy Tamarind, Tarragon and Paprika, and a Fine Herb Reserve mustard.

Read about them on the Old Hatfield Pickle Co‘s blog or in their on-line shop.

Other articles on the is site about herbs and spices.

The post Mustard, spice and condiment appeared first on Limepickle.com.

However you spell Chilli, you know it’s going to be hot!

Chilli powder is generally regarded as a spice. This article is about hot chilli peppers, the various varieties and what they offer. It also includes other interesting chilli information.

Whether you spell it Chilli chili, chilli, chillie or chile pepper depends on where in the world you come from, so all are correct! And anyway, mention chilli in conversation and everybody knows what you are talking about!

Why Chilli Peppers are so hot!

The active component that causes the burning sensation in chilli peppers is called capsaicin which is present in all parts of a chilli pepper with the exception of the pepper’s seeds.

Its highest concentration is found in the white pith that surrounds the seeds and runs around inside the chilli pepper pod. It is also present in the fleshy skin but to a significantly lesser extent.

In humans and other mammals, when capsaicin comes into contact with mucous membranes, the body responds by releasing endorphins.

The endorphins have several effects. Sex hormones are released, the immune systems response is enhanced, appetite is repressed and a feeling of euphoria occurs. The higher the level endorphins, the feeling of pain is reduced as are the negative effects of stress.

The degree of these effects varies from individual to individual.

If the pith and its veins are entirely removed and the remainder of the chilli eaten, you can really appreciate the taste of the chilli pepper without the intense heat.

Different varieties of Chilli Peppers

It is impossible to write about all of the varieties of Chilli peppers that exist so this section is restricted to the famous Chilli Peppers. If you think I’ve missed out any particular type of Chilli or see any corrections that need to be made, please let me know and I’ll amend as necessary.

The ratings are the maximum known for each particular chilli. The Scoville rating of an individual pods of the same chilli type can vary enormously depending on the individual plants growing conditions and environment. Humidity is one factor that has a great influence on the hotness of a chilli.

Jalepino Chilli Pepper

Jalepino Chilli Scoville heat rating

Varies between 2,500 and 8,000 units

Jalepino Chilli pepper colouring and size

The Jalepino chilli pod’s colour is green when young but when mature the chilli pod turns to a bright red. A fully grown Jalepino chilli is between 5 to 10 cm long.

Alternative names for the Jalepino Chilli pepper

In Mexico the Jalepino chilli is also known as the chili gordo and huachinango.

The Jalepino Chilli flavour and aroma

The Jalepino Chilli pepper tastes of citrus fruit but predominantly lemon flavoured.

Jalepino Chilli pepper growing locations

Mexico is the predominant growing area for this chilli with North America a close second. It is however grown worldwide like most chilli pods nowadays.

Birds Eye Chilli Pepper

Birds Eye Chilli pepper Scoville heat rating

Varies between 100,000-175,000 units

Birds Eye Chilli pepper colouring and size

Mature chilli pod colour can be red or green

Alternative names for the Birds Eye Chilli pepper

Alternative names for this chilli include African Devil, Congo Chilli, Zanzibar Chilli and African Red Devil amongst others.

Birds Eye Chilli pepper growing locations

The Bird’s Eye chilli is found growing almost all over the African continent.

Scots Bonnet Chilli Pepper

Scotch Bonnet Chilli pepper Scoville heat rating

Varies between 100,000 and 350,000 units

Scotch Bonnet Chilli pepper colouring and size

Scotch Bonnet Chilli peppers are green but mature and change colour to yellow, orange and bright red. These chili peppers vary in size but grow up to 70 mm long and 50 mm in diameter.

Alternative names for the Scotch Bonnet Chilli pepper

Scotch Bonnet chilli peppers are also known as Scotty Bons, Meh Boabs Bonnet and Bonney peppers

Flavour and aroma of the Scotch Bonnet Chilli pepper

This pepper’s taste is sweet and fruity.

Scotch Bonnet Chilli pepper growing locations

Scotch Bonnet chilli peppers are particularly grown in the Caribbean where the climate suits their cultivation. They are also grown worldwide with Turkey being a large producer.

Habanero Chilli Pepper

Habanero Chilli pepper Scoville heat rating

Scoville heat rating starts at 100,000 but can go as high as 450,000 units depending on which variety of Habanero chilli is being measured.

These are the four hottest members of the Habanero chilli family!

Orange Habanero Chilli: up to 350,000 units
White Habanero Chilli: up to 420,000 units
Paper Lantern Habenero: up to 450,000 units
Chocolate Habanero chilli: up to 425,000 units

Habanero Chilli pepper colouring and size

The Habanero Chilli as most chillies is green when immature. Dependant on the type of Habanero chilli, the mature chilli pod colour is different.

The Orange Habenero Chilli pod matures to a pale orange,

The Chocolate Habanero chilli changes to a rich brown and measures on average about 45mm long and up to 40mm wide. It looks like a brown scotch bonnet and has the same wrinkled appearance.

The Paper Lantern Habenero is a brilliant emerald green when immature and then changes to a deep vibrant red measuring up to

The White Habanero Chilli pod matures from a very pale creamy green into a creamy white. These lantern shaped chillies grow to 40mm in length with a width of 25mm.

Flavour and aroma of the Habanero Chilli pepper

Generally the Habanero chilli family have a fruity taste almost citrus in flavour. Its aroma is distinctly floral.

Where Habanero Chilli peppers are grown

Although now grown worldwide, the main production areas are Panama, Mexico, Costa Rica, Belize, and some of the states in the U.S.

Bhut Jolokia Chilli Pepper

Bhut Jalokia Scoville heat rating

In excess of 1,000,000 units

Bhut Jalokia chilli colouring and size

Colour of the mature pod is a brown or red whilst the immature pod is green. The fully grown chilli pod can be up to 85mm lond and 30 mm in width though this varies considerably.

Alternative names of the Bhut Jalokia chilli

The Bhut Jalokia chilli has several alternative names including the Bih Jalokia, Cobra Chilli, Naga Jolokia and Ghost Chilli particularly in the USA

Flavour and aroma of the Bhut Jalokia Chilli

The aroma of the Bhut Jalokia Chilli is a mixture of apricots and and apples. Its taste is sweet and fruity. Sometimes described as tasting of oranges.

Where the Bhut Jalokia chilli grows

The Bhut Jalokia is found predominantly on the Indian continent in the following areas. Assam, Bangladesh, Nagaland, Manipur and Sri Lanaka. The Bhut Jalokia chilli is now cultivated in many countries including the UK where the hottest is known as the Dorset Naga although there is some debate as to whether this particular type of chilli is really a Naga.

Chilli Peppers and health

There are both positives and negatives to chilli peppers. Here are a few of them!

Chilli peppers and medicine

The capsaicin extracted from chilli peppers is found in many non prescription ointments that treat arthritis (osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis) and provide pain in muscles and joints. That’s why these ointments feel hot once they have been applied.

By the same token, always wear gloves when working with chilli peppers in the kitchen. I make a lot of chilli sauces and have found that rubbing vegetable oil into your hands before working with chilli peppers works too!

Chilli peppers and general health

People who regularly heat chilli peppers claim that they rarely suffer from colds and there is some evidence to confirm this claim.

Chilli peppers contain very high levels of vitamins particularly A, C and D. The levels of vitamins C and A in the chilli pepper exceed the quantities found in more traditional sources such as oranges and carrots.

Vitamin D is not commonly found in natural food stuffs and is normally produced by synthesis when sunlight absorbed by the skin. This ability to produce vitamin D reduces as age increases.

Vitamin D is important to maintain healthy bones by promoting the absorption of calcium which prevents bones from becoming thin and brittle. Vitamin D in conjunction with calcium prevents adults from contracting osteomalacia and osteoporosis when older.

Other benefits obtained from vitamin D are anti-inflammatory and the bolstering of the immune system. (The reason why chilli peppers are eaten by athletes in training.)

Chilli peppers contain very high levels of vitamin D.

Medical research involving chilli peppers and or capsaicin

There is a considerable amount of research being carried out worldwide on various health conditions and the benefits that chilli peppers and capsaicin may bring.

Here are two of many examples of chilli peppers being involved in medical research.

Chilli peppers, capsaicin and diabetes

The capsaicin in chilli peppers is known to reduce the amount of insulin required to lower blood sugar levels after a meal by approximately 60%.

This is being researched with a view to treatments for diabetics and people who are overweight.

Cancer and Chilli peppers

Chillies contain natural anti-oxidants. Research has shown that some cultures have lower than average incidents of cancer among their populations. The connection seems to be that these cultures eat chilli peppers regularly.

Rats with prostrate cancer has shown up to 80% of the cancerous cells being killed off by large doses of capsaicin.

Similar research is being carried out in relation to lung cancer. You can read more on the BBC website on how spicy foods can kill cancers.

The pain associated eating really hot chilli peppers

Below is a video of Jamie Kocher, the CEO of the Waimea Bay Chili Pepper Company. He is eating the spiciest part of the Bhut Jolokia Chilli pepper. Watch the video to the end. It’s worth it!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tRq8ExAHzk[/youtube]

Hope you enjoyed the video and of course the post! I will be adding other chillies to this post. All suggestions are welcome.

Regards

Chris Nizzi

Further reading:
National Institute of Health. Fact sheet on vitamin D. which is well worth reading!
BBC website. How spicy foods can kill cancers

Beware the mighty Chilli but don’t ignore it either!

The post Hottest chilli peppers appeared first on Limepickle.com.

The Old Hatfield Pickle Co will be selling its products locally

I’ve had a phone call this morning from the lady who organises the Hatfield Farmers’ Market at the local council. She confirmed that the Old Hatfield Pickle Co will have a stall there.

This will be the first time that the Old Hatfield Pickle Co has sold its range of artisan condiments in its home town of Hatfield.

If you can make it, the Hatfield Pickle Co will be bringing its full range of mustards, chutneys, sauces and relish. A range of spices will also be available.

Hatfield Farmers Market

Hatfield Farmer’s Market takes place on the first Saturday of every month. So if you are in the area, why not go along! Get the details and a map of where the Hatfield Farmers’ Market is. The variety of local produce is wide and varied. You’re sure to see something that takes your fancy!

What’s special about Hatfield Farmers’ market and other farmers’ markets

I read a piece on a web site called Gourmet Britain that really sums it up and I quote!

“It is generally accepted by most farmers’ markets that stall holders must have grown, bred, caught, pickled, brewed or baked the goods themselves. Their main emphasis is to help local producers and processors to sell their goods directly to the public, near their source of origin.”

Having shopped for some time now at Hatfield farmers’ market for cheese, fruit juices and many other groceries. It always is a pleasure to buy from people who know and are willing to talk and offer advice on their products.

I would also far rather support local enterprises selling at Hatfield Farmers’ Market than conglomerates and it goes much further than that.

The Old Hatfield Pickle Co will be selling their range at the Hatfield farmers’ market. They buy ingredients like cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, onions and some herbs from local farms and market gardens both directly and in-directly, so they in turn, also support the local community.

What to expect from the Old Hatfield Pickle Co at Hatfield Farmers’ market

The Old Hatfield Pickle Co will not only be selling their range of artisan condiments but will also answer any questions you may have about their products.

If you have questions about anything from mustard making to pickling, please just ask. Pick up one of their leaflets with tips on chutney making and sauces.

If you can’t get to Hatfield Farmers’ Market, use the contact us form on this website to ask your question (We get quite a few and they are all answered) or visit our online shop that sells the Old Hatfield Pickle Co’s range of condiments.

Hope to see you at Hafield Farmers’ Market.

Regards

The Picklers

Visit the Hatfield Farmers’ Market for a refreshing change and taste real food

The post Old Hatfield Pickle Co at Hatfield Farmers’ Market appeared first on Limepickle.com.

There is nothing new in preserving food!

Since time immemorial mankind has been actively preserving the food harvested to survive through the times when it wasn’t freely available.

Preserving food is not a matter of survival nowadays. Fortunately times have changed! The seasons aren’t the restriction they once were. We can buy just about any type of food we want in supermarkets whether it’s in season or not. So why bother preserving food?

Why you should think about preserving food

Supermarkets have offered chutneys, pickles of all types relish and sauces. They are mass produced and although we all have our favourites, they are much of a muchness.

In the last couple of years, some supermarkets have started to offering premium ranges of preserves with distinct branding which usually cost more. Nonetheless, they are still mass produced.

Preserving food to produce your own pickles, relish and chutneys means that you will have a unique taste to your produce.

At first follow several recipes to get the hang of preserving and then experiment with different herbs and spices, combinations of fruit and vegetable. You will be surprised at how good the results can be.

Remember to write down any changes you make to a recipe so you can make it again. I have fallen foul of this many a time when preserving because I couldn’t replicate the exact ingredients!

Offer the results with well cooked plain food. Complimentary preserves of any kind will make a meal memorable particularly if you did the preserving yourself!

Places to get fruit and vegetables for preserving.

Farmers markets are a good source of locally grown fresh fruit and vegetables when they are in season.

If you grow fruit and vegetables in your garden, consider preserving any of the food crop you can’t use.

Fruit and vegetable stores at everyday local markets are another good source.

When selecting food produce for preserving, use the freshest you can find.

Preserving any food? Some basics you need to know!

Food stuff generally starts to decay quite quickly and it start even before the it has been harvested.

It’s the start of natural process that’s there for the tree or vine’s reproduction cycle’s benefit, not ours! And this can render food stuff unfit for human consumption.

Always use the freshest fruit or vegetables you can find and discard anything that’s spoiled or blemished.

So what have we got to look out for when preserving fruit and vegetables?

This may sound scary but don’t let it put you off preserving!

Once you know, you know and a lot of it is just plain common sense. This is not a safety course but we all need little refreshers once in a while. I have to go through an assessment every two years to renew my ‘Food Safety in Catering Award’.

There are three risks that can and do present real hazards to the well being of food. Physical, chemical and biological.

General food safety

Physical and Chemical hazards are about common sense in your kitchen.

Cleanliness is next to Godliness as the old saying goes and it certainly applies when preserving as it does when cooking hot meals..

Any possible source of contamination should be eliminated. Objects in chutneys for instance, that shouldn’t be there, may put people’s health at risk.

By the same token, the risk of contamination from the chemicals in the numerous cleaning products we use nowadays must also be removed. Put cleaners etc. in a storage cupboard.

Most people have good food safety practices otherwise there would be a lot more reported cases of domestic food poisoning.

So I’m not going to go through them here but when preserving, good food hygiene is paramount to prevent contamination of any kind.

Biological hazards to preserving food

If you are going to preserve food, you need to be aware the biological hazards that present themselves and how during the preserving process we can minimalise or eliminate them.

Most preserving recipes for chutneys, relish and sauces involve boiling and simmering. The reason is reducing the amount of fluid and thickening the chutney or whatever it might be.

However there is another reason that’s equally if not more important and it’s to do with what the IEH (Chartered Institute of Environmental Health) call the ‘Danger Zone’ which is the temperature range between 5 to 63 degrees C. Pathogenic bacteria multiply in high risk foods in this temperature range as do other spoiling agents.

So what does that really mean to us?

When preserving, we boil at 100 degrees C and we simmer between 85-95 degrees C.

Preserving food and the four spoiling agents

The four spoiling agents are bacteria, fungi and moulds, enzymes and yeasts.

Preserving food is a process that halts or significantly slows down food spoilage. High salt, acid, alcohol and sugar content create environments where the activity of the spoiling agents is significantly slowed down or kills them off.

Simmering and boiling are however highly significant in the process of preserving food because the vast majority of the spoiling agents cannot survive heat.

Bacteria are largely killed off between 90 and 100 degrees C. They are at their most active between 20 and 40 degrees C (i.e. in the Danger Zone).

The activity of Fungi and Moulds decrease beyond 60 degrees C and more so as the temperature rises. Maximum activity range is between 10 and 39 degrees C.

Enzymes which are naturally occurring proteins in food stuffs start to be killed off at 60 degrees C and beyond. They are most active between 28 and 50 degrees C.

The majority of yeasts are destroyed at 60 degrees and again more so as the temperature rises.

So you can see that boiling and simmering are significant apart from fluid reduction in the preserving process.

Using sterile and airtight containers in the preserving process

This probably sounds obvious but using sterile and and airtight containers to keep our preserved food in, is key.

After taking the trouble during the preserving process to at best eliminate the spoiling agents, using unsterilised containers is a crime and worst still, could affect somebodies health by re-introducing a spoiling agent.

More detailed articles exploring preserving food to follow including tips and recipes from the folks at the Old Hatfield Pickle Co.

Links to other preserving related articles and recipes on the Limepickle.com website.

Lemon Pickle recipe
Lime pickle recipe

Have a go at preserving your own food.

The post Safe food Preserving? Things you should know! appeared first on Limepickle.com.

Thanks for all the emails about the lime pickle recipe

Firstly, thanks to all the people who used the contact form to get in touch with me regarding the lime pickle recipe. Any help you need to make the lime pickle recipe or the lemon pickle for that matter, please get in touch, I’m happy to help!

The good news about the lime pickle recipe

Well the good news is that a small artisan pickle company called the Old Hatfield Pickle Co is going to make both the lemon pickle and lime pickle recipe and sell the produce at the Covent Garden market in London. All their sales to date have been made by people recommending their produce so it’s a big change for them!

They have stuck to lime pickle recipe religiously and the result is stunning. It tastes just as a quality lime pickle should. The lemon pickle is not mature enough yet so I wait with baited breathe.

I’ve been talking to the guys who run the company on and off for about a year now and they really know what they are doing. They have something around a 125 years of experience between them in making pickle, chutney, sauces and mustard between them. Can’t be exact because one of them is in his late seventies and can’t remember exactly when he started making condiments. I think it’s what’s known as a senior moment. Hope he doesn’t read this!

Buying the pickle made from the lime pickle recipe

I’m in the middle of setting up a blog for them so that they can sell online. Although it’s not finished, the address is oldhatfieldpickleco.com and you can take a look here.

Both the lemon and lime pickle will be available on the Old Hatfield Pickle Co website and of course at the Covent Garden Fine food market. A good thing if you don’t want to make it yourself!

Great news I thought!

Regards Chris Nizzi

Here is a link to the lime pickle recipe and other articles on pickle.

Using Lime pickle to add spice to food
Lemon pickle recipe
Lime pickle recipe

The post Good news about the lime pickle recipe! appeared first on Limepickle.com.

Lime pickle isn’t just a condiment for curries

Traditionally Lime pickle has been used as a condiment to give a tangy twist to many different meals. Lime pickle can be used to enhance or provide a contrasting flavour to most meals including meat, chicken, fish and vegetarian dishes. Lime pickle can add an exotic touch to the plainest of meals.

The following how to use Lime pickle tips came from a good friend of mine called Prashant. I’ve added a couple of my own lime pickle tips too!

Prashant’s tips for using lime pickle

Lime pickle and rice

Add lime pickle to rice and mix it well. Eat with a chappati and enjoy it. You’ll be suprosed at how attractive it and good it tastes.

Lime pickle and hard boiled eggs

Hard boil one or two eggs and then remove the shells. Slice the eggs either with a knife or an egg slicer. Add a teaspoon or two of lime pickle to taste and gently toss. Put the mixture of boiled egg and lime pickle on a slice of toasted bread and enjoy the combination of tastes.

Using the same mixture in a french stick is also nice to eat.

Scrambled eggs and lime pickle

Scrambled eggs can be a little bland unless you pep them up a bit. Use lime pickle as an additive when scrambling the eggs with some crumbled cheese or use the lime pickle as a topping. Scrambled eggs will never be boring again!

Lime pickle with Pappadoms

Lime Pickle with a pappadom is commonly eaten as a starter and served in most Indian restaurants in the Western hemisphere.

Pappadoms can be fried or dry roasted but which ever is your preference. Take a small piece of a pappadom, add some tangy Lime pickle and a small amount of onion salad and simply eat!

The combination of the taste of lime pickle and cool onion salad is something to be believed.

Lime Pickle, yoghurt and rice

Quite often after cooking a rice based dish, there is some boiled rice left over sitting in the fridge. Combining it with yoghurt and lime pickle is an excellent and tasty way to use it up!

This simple recipe can be used as a nice starter to many different main meals. It also makes a nice side dish at a barbecue with the slight tang of the lime pickle and soothing taste of yoghurt.

Mix the rice with plain yoghurt. You need to mix each cup full of rice with approximately three table spoons of plain yoghurt. Add a teaspoon of Lime pickle and mix all three ingredients well and its ready to eat.

This is a simple meal often eaten in Southern India.

Lime Pickle tacos

This is a delightfully simple recipe using lime pickle as a substitute for traditional salsa.

Scramble a few eggs with canned black beans. Add the mix to tortillas and season with Lime Pickle instead of salsa. This simple dish works great as a starter to any Mexican meal!

Using lime pickle with fish

Lime Pickle is a superb accompaniment to any fish dish however its been cooked. Bear in mind that there are various types of lime pickle ranging from mild to spicy hot and also sweet varieties so you don’t need to overpower a delicately flavoured fish.

Try a different approach to using lime pickle.

If you are going to barbecued prawns or fish, marinate them in lime pickle for a few hours prior to cooking! The combined taste of lime pickle marinated fish or prawns combines spectacularly with a smokey barbecue sauce.

Lime pickle in a cheese sandwich

If your considering having cheese sandwiches and the cheese is a mature cheddar or other strong flavoured cheese. Consider spreading a little lime pickle on the cheese. It’s a nice combination of flavours, a strong cheese with tangy lime.

Other suggestions for using lime pickle

Using lime pickle to cook with

I use oil based lime pickle as well as others to cook with quite often.

Try cooking bacon with lime pickle. Bacon is a quite a sweet tasting meat and instead of using an oil in the frying pan, use a small amount of lime pickle.

The combination of tangy lime with the sweetness of bacon is mouth watering.

If you grill bacon, put a slight smear of lime pickle on the bacon before grilling for the same taste.

Try a lemon pickle when cooking chicken.

Lime pickle in salads

Lime pickle lends itself really well when preparing salads. It doesn’t replace a salad dressing of vinaigrette, It does however enhance the salad when mixed with cheese for instance.

Cut the cheese into small cubes and mix with a small amount of lime pickle. A mild lime pickle or lemon pickle is more suitable for more delicate flavours like chicken though the process is exactly the same.

Once the cheese is lightly coated with lime pickle, add it to the salad and then toss it. The coolness of a dressed salad with the combination of cheese with a slight tang of lime is superb.

Have you ever thought of making your own lime pickle? It tastes much better than commercially available pickle. It doesn’t take that much time or trouble to make. Try this lime pickle recipe!

Hope you try a few of these tips on how to use lime pickle. You won’t regret it!

Chris Nizzi.

Lime pickle, a prince among pickles!

The post Using Lime pickle to add spice to food appeared first on Limepickle.com.