Dried Lime: A Popular Spice in Iranian Cuisine

Dried lime is the main spice used in famous Iranian foods Gheimeh and Ghormeh Sabzi, which are two types of stew. Moreover, it is used in making broth, different types of chicken and viper’s bugloss tea. Dried lime can even be grounded and used as powdered spice.
You may make dried lime at home rather than buy it.

Ingredients:
Limes: 1kg
Vinegar: 1 cup
Salt: as much as necessary

Recipe:
1. Wash the limes well and sprinkle some salt on them. Leave them for one day before washing them with cold water.
2. Pour some water inside a casserole, add vinegar and let it boil. Now, add the limes to the mixture of water and vinegar and allow them to boil for 10 seconds. Then rinse them with cold water.
3. Put the rinsed limes back into the boiling vinegar-contained water and this time allow them to boil for a minute. Then put them in a colander, but don’t drain them.
4. After the limes get cold, create a hole in each one with a toothpick, put them on a dark cotton cloth (to absorb more light) and leave them under sunlight for 10 days until they are dried.
5. Put the half-dried limes in a basket and put them in the shade for another few days until they are dried completely.
6. You may ground the limes to keep them as powdered spice.