Torshi limoo

Step 1: Sterilise a 1-litre jar by washing it and drying it in a 250°F oven for 15 minutes. Scrub the 12 small thin-skinned limes, then cut a deep cross into each one from the tip, stopping 1 cm from the base so the quarters hold together.

Step 2: Open each lime gently and push a teaspoon of the 4 oz coarse sea salt into the cut. Sprinkle a layer of salt in the jar and pack the limes in tightly, pressing so they release some juice, with the rest of the salt, the ½ tsp ground turmeric and 2 dried red chillies between the layers.

Step 3: Pour in the 1 cup fresh lime juice until the limes are completely covered. Weigh them down with a small clean saucer or a zip bag of brine if they float. Common mistake: limes left above the juice darken and spoil; they must stay submerged.

Step 4: Close and leave somewhere warm and bright, such as a sunny windowsill, shaking the jar every day for the first week. Over 4–6 weeks the peel turns soft and almost translucent.

Step 5: They are ready when the peel cuts as easily as the flesh. Rinse off the salty juice before using. Keep refrigerated once opened; they last a year.