pickled
lemons
and
limes
As an Australian cook we were introduced to pickled lemons in Claudia Roden’s Book of New Middle eastern Food, first published by Penguin in 1976.
Fifty plus years later there would be very few passionate cooks that do not either know about, or know how to use pickled lemons and limes. They would especially know and understand their relevance to the Middle Eastern kitchen.
Meyer lemons with their thin skins are not suitable for pckled lemons, however, I have used their juice. I am not mad about Meyer lemons and don’t use them for general cooking as I find they are not tart enough.
AO 20 MAY 2023
TRANSFERRED FROM GALAXY GUIDES – FIRST PUBLISHED 2005
NEW TO PICKLING AND PRESERVING? PLEASE READ OUR PRESERVING BIBLE BEFORE YOU START. THERE IS NOTHING MORE ANNOYING THAN PUTTING IN THE EFFORT TO FIND YOUR PRESERVES HAVE GONE OFF BECAUSE YOU HAVEN’T FOLLOWED THE RULES….PRESERVING BIBILE
bistro
francais
Make a deep vertical crosscut into unwaxed lemons or limes and prizing them gently apart put a teaspoon of good quality sea salt and close again.[1]
Put the salted fruit into a sterilised jars and cover with strained fresh, or frozen lemon juice.
Leave in a cool place with a constant temperature for about two months or until the skin goes translucent.
We have tried commercial lemon juice and had to throw the whole batch out…so don’t be tempted.
note
I never say no to lemons not matter how inconvenient the tiing might be. I have a weight of rind and juice on my most popular recipes. The juice is frozen in 400g batches both correct weight for my lemon curd and lemon tart. The rind is just frozen in a freezer bag where it is easy to shake the right weight out from. Processed with the sugar in the Thermo it works perfectly.
[1] Don’t skimp on the salt, quality salt does make a difference. Watch out for Japanese sea salt in kilo bags at your local Japanese or Chinese grocer. Usually under $10 AUD it is good quality and excellent value.
an alternative
pickled lemon
recipe
PLEASE NOTE I have not tried this method with limes.
you will need
unwaxed lemons
quality salt
sterilised jars and lids
food service gloves
fresh or frozen lemon juice…hard to give a quantity.
Count your lemons and weigh out 8g of salt for every lemon. Have very clean bowl large enough to hold all of your lemons. Wash the lemons and quarter them into the bowl. Add the salt and roll the quarted lemons through the salt.
Put on food service gloves and start packing the salted lemon quarters into your jars. As you go, press very firmly against them to squeeze out as much juice as possible, and finally, when you have filled your jars right to the top give them a very firm two handed press. Top until covered with lemon juice.
With this method the lemons are ready to use in about four to six weeks, however, I have found they do not keep as well as the whole lemons.
Bistro
delicious
Basically, good French bistroo
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