pickled lemons
or
limes
My wonderful friend Diana Hetzel is a constant source of recipes and culinary ideas. Diana’s reading is broad and her culinary skills and knowledge surpass any chef in my wide acquaintance.
The beauty of this technique is that they are useable in three weeks. I did limes, and they are now about 10 weeks old. I really love the firm texture of this method. I have one jar in the fridge and another on the verandah so time will tell.
I have found that this more conventional method take about three months before they are useable and if you don’t have fridge space they are best used within about nine months. Mine are stored on the verandah, fine in winter but a couple of 40°C days and they are pretty well turned to mush.
It has taken my some time to register that I no longer need kilos and kilos of anything and without fridge space I find doing a small batch of the traditional method every three months is the best way to go.
Remember the success of any preserve most often hinges on properly sterilised containers. If you’re new to preserving check out our Preserving Bible before you start.
Ref:This is the brining technique used at the Culinary Institute of America in Napa, California, cited by Joyce Goldstein in her book, Jam Session.
AO 25 JULY 2023
so
easy
For Quick-Brine Lemons, dissolve 125g kosher salt [or other quality salt] in 250g boiling water and let cool.
Scrub and cut 4 lemons into quarters and put the lemons into sterilised jars, pour the brine over the lemons to cover, and close the jars.
Store the jars in a cool cupboard and turn them occasionally. Allow for two weeks before using the lemons.
