Recipe for Preserved Lemons:
"Preserved Lemons are a common flavoring agent in Moroccan cuisine, particularly in very slow braises known as tagines. Preserved Lemons are also components to vegan cuisine as well. Preserved Lemons are found as an unusual cocktail garnish.
Ingredients
• Lemons
• Salt
Procedure
• Poke holes in the lemons with a sharp knife. Pack them in an airtight jar, separating them from one another with salt. Cover the jar, store in a dark place for a day. If the lemons have not released enough liquid to cover, add salt and reseal.
• To use, remove a lemon from the jar and rinse thoroughly in water to remove salt. Discard seeds before using.
• Store in a cool dark place for approximately two weeks. Refrigerate afterwards.
Store in refrigerator for up to 6 months.
Note: You can also add spices to the lemons for preserving: things like - cloves, coriander seeds, peppercorns, cinnamon stick, bay leaf.
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Definition of Pickling:
"Pickling is the preservation of food in acid. It is used to preserve vegetables, fruit, fish, herbs, meat, and even hard-boiled eggs."
"Pickling brine is a moderately strong acid which inhibits the growth of microbes; a high content of salt and/or sugar often enhances this effect. Some foods have a high water content, in which case methods must be used to ensure that the brine is strong enough to function properly."
"Some of the more popular pickled foods include pickles (cucumbers), sauerkraut (cabbage), and green olives (olives)."
"These three examples cover the range of methods used to produce acidic pickling brine. In the case of cucumbers, vinegar (acetic acid) is usually added to provide all or most of the necessary acidity. Sauerkraut relies on a fermentation process to produce lactic acid, so that careful control of temperature and salt content are crucial to the recipe. Fresh olives are naturally quite acidic, and so acid must be removed before they become palatable; depending upon the process used, several batches of brine might draw acid from the fruit and be thrown away before the final batch is added for storage."
"It is widely believed that sushi has its origins in a method of pickling. Its defining ingredient is rice flavored with a brine of vinegar, sugar, and salt.'"
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Fun Food Facts about Lemons:
"Lemons are used to make lemonade, and as a garnish for drinks. Many mixed drinks, soft drinks, iced tea, and water are often served with a wedge or slice of lemon in the glass or on the rim. The average lemon contains approximately 3 tablespoons of juice. Allowing lemons to come to room temperature before squeezing (or heating briefly in a microwave) makes the juice easier to extract. Lemons left unrefrigerated for long periods of time are susceptible to mold.
Fish are marinated in lemon juice to neutralize the odor. The acid neutralizes the amines in fish by converting them into nonvolatile ammonium salts.
Lemon juice, alone or in combination with other ingredients, is used to marinate meat before cooking: the acid provided by the juice partially hydrolyzes the tough collagen fibers in the meat (tenderizing the meat), though the juice does not have any antibiotic effects.
Lemons, alone or with oranges, are used to make marmalade. The grated rind of the lemon, called lemon zest, is used to add flavor to baked goods, puddings, rice and other dishes. Pickled lemons are a Moroccan delicacy. A liqueur called limoncello is made from lemon rind.
When lemon juice is sprinkled on certain foods that tend to oxidize and turn brown after being sliced, such as apples, bananas and avocados, the acid acts as a short-term preservative by denaturing the enzymes that cause browning and degradation.
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Are you thinking about serving this dish at a party or a dinner?
Gift Giving: Preserved Lemons make a great Gift-in-a-jar!
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