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Chanh muối
Salted lime drink
Nước chanh muối: salt-cured limes muddled into a sweet, salty, sour cooler
Vietnamese households keep a jar of chanh muối, limes cured in salt until they turn soft and olive-brown, on a sunny shelf for months; on a sweltering day a lime or two is muddled with sugar and topped up with ice water or soda water. The drink is salty, sour and sweet all at once, and grandmothers swear by it for sore throats and after a bout of sun. This recipe makes the jar of cured limes (allow four weeks before the first glass) and then the drink itself. Chef's tip: dry the limes completely after blanching; any water left on the skins lets mould take hold in the jar.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
For the cured limes (a 1 litre jar)
- 12 limesthin-skinned, unwaxed
- 9 oz coarse sea salt
For one glass
- 1 ½ tbsp sugaror sugar syrup
- 1 cup cold water or soda water
- 6 ice cubes
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Scrub 12 limes, drop them into boiling water for 1 minute, then drain. This softens the skins so the salt can get in.
2 minStep 2: Dry the limes with a clean cloth and leave on a rack in the sun or a warm spot until the skins are completely dry to the touch.
60 minStep 3: Sterilise a 1 litre jar with boiling water and dry it. Pack in the limes in layers with 9 oz coarse sea salt, finishing with a thick layer of salt.
5 minStep 4: Seal and keep on a sunny windowsill, shaking every few days. The limes release juice that dissolves the salt into brine; after 4 weeks they turn soft and khaki-brown and are ready. Keep using a clean, dry spoon.
Step 5: For a glass, muddle 1 cured lime (about 1/12 of the jar) with 1 ½ tbsp sugar and 1 tbsp of the brine in a tall glass until the lime breaks open.
2 minStep 6: Add 6 ice cubes, top up with 1 cup cold water or soda water and stir. Taste and add more sugar if it is too salty.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 70 kcal
- Protein
- 0 g
- Carbs
- 18 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
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Good to know
- How long does chanh muối take?
- About 25 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 5 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 12 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of limes?
- Lemon, same amount.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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Perfect for:Summer coolers