A comment following the previous entry suggested I post some recipes. I don’t really intend this to be a recipe blog but there is just one I’d like to share: preserved lemons. These are a basic ingredient in Moroccan cooking- SO simple and SO good. I always have some in the fridge. They keep for months and can make the simplest of dishes really interesting.
All you need to make a jar is about 10 lemons and some salt. Choose organic lemons if you can since its actually the peel that you eat in the end not the fleshy inside. Get yourself a good clean jar. Make 4 equally spaced slits in your lemons from top to bottom but dont actually cut right through. Stuff salt into each slit and put the whole lemon into the jar. Continue with the others but really ram them in. The jar needs to be filled with the lemons and the more juice that comes out the better. You might have to finish off and fill spaces with halves or quarters but just really wedge them in tightly. Finally, push it all down as much as you can and use the juice from the remaining lemons to cover the whole thing. They do need to be covered.
And thats it. Close the jar and put it aside for about 4 weeks. The lemons come out soft and salty – lemony but not sour. – really delicious. Once you open your jar, keep it in the fridge – that way you can keep them for months.
So what can you do with them? Anything you like. The peel of a quarter of a lemon goes a long way. Cut into thin strips add it to chicken dishes, salads, mixed cooked vegetables, lentil soup, rice, chickpeas…whatever takes your fancy. It doesnt take over the other flavours. It just adds a wonderful and surprising zing!
La Casa Rosa says
Delicious…
thank’s Sharon
Eleanor says
Mmmm, will have to try it over the holidays…love the last photo btw.
e
liz says
Had already made mine and they are prettily sitting on the shelf.
ingrid niamath says
I haven’t had any on hand since I moved. Time to make some. Yummy! Another thing in my kitchen that will remind me of you. :))
Amelia says
Well, we have a huge lemon tree that right now is producing like crazy…. Don’t buy and take some if you come up here in Christmas!!!!
Chris says
Sounds wonderful to have around the kitchen! I will definitely try it. And I love the photos!
Jane Aston says
Love to give this a try. Love lemons and those jars too. I just made pickled ginger and put some in syrup too. I had a freind over for Christmas dinner and she couldn’t keep away from it. I gave her the jar for a present. So this looks wonderful. I started growing lemons from pips. Hope to have a harvest one day!! Wonderful photographs. I hope you are a success there in Cadiz. Happy New Year from Burgundy, France.
Sharon says
Hi and thanks for subscribing Jane. I hope you have success with the lemons ! See the next blog for how to make the yummy black olives. Im sure you can get them in your neck of the woods. Ive just started another 7kgs…!! Would love to know how you make the pickled ginger…Sharon