INDIAN-STYLE CHILI PICKLE RECIPE

Ingredients

• 2 cups chili peppers (see above), washed, caps removed, chopped into 1-inch pieces
• 8 tablespoons mustard seeds, ground to a powder in a coffee or spice grinder
• 1.5 tablespoons coarse sea salt
• 1 tablespoon turmeric powder
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 cup mustard oil

How-To

• Grind your mustard seed into a powder and mix thoroughly with salt.
• Place your pepper pieces into a quart jar and add the powder.  Mix thoroughly, or put a lid on it and shake it like a polaroid pitcha.
• Loosen the lid, just enough to let air/CO2 escape and place your jar outside in a sunny spot. Bring it in at night (or you know, if you forget, don’t) and put it back out the next morning.  Repeat for a total of three days, stirring thoroughly each night when you bring it in, or at some point during the day when you think of it.
• The night of the third day,  add the fresh lemon juice and turmeric powder. Stir or shake very well.
• Put it back outside for two more days, bring it in and shaking/stirring well each night.
• At the end of the last night, bring your sun pickle inside for good! Heat the mustard oil on the stove on high for approximately 5 minutes. Bring it back to room temperature (keep those bugs alive!) and pour over your veggie/spice mix.  Stir well.
• Let it sit overnight at room temperature (inside!) and start tasting at 24 hours. The oil shouldn’t taste or smell “oily” when these are ready to eat; it should be infused with the flavors of the spices and peppers. It may take up to three days on the counter to fully infuse.
• Once they’re ready, eat them or store them in the fridge.  I recommend scraping excess spice mixture from the sides down into the jar to give these added longevity and avoid mold.