Ingredients
5 each lemons
1/4 cup salt, more if desired
1 each cinnamon stick
3 each cloves
1 coriander seeds, 5 to 6
1 black peppercorns, 3 to 4
1 each bay leaf
1 freshly squeezed lemon juice
Directions
If you wish to soften the peel, soak the lemons in lukewarm water for
3 days, changing the water daily. Quarter the lemons from the top to
within 1/2" of the bottom, sprinkle salt on the exposed flesh, then
reshape the fruit. Place 1 tb. salt on the bottom of a sterilized
one-pint mason jar. Pack in the lemons and push them down, adding
more salt, and the optional spices, between layers. Press the lemons
down to release their juices and to make room for the remaining
lemons. (If the juice released from the squashed fruit does not cover
them, add freshly squeezed lemon juice - not chemically produced
lemon juice and not water.*) Leave some air space before sealing the
jar. Let the lemons ripen in a warm place, shaking the jar each day
to distribute the salt and juice. Let ripen for 30 days. To use,
rinse the lemons, as needed, under running water, removing and
discarding the pulp, if desired - and there is no need to refrigerate
after opening. Preserved lemons will keep up to a year, and the
pickling juice can be used two or three times over the course of a
year.
Servings: 1 recipe
Preserved Lemons Recipe brought to you by Recipe Ideas
Categories: Fruit
The History of Recipes
It is possible to trace the history of meal recipes way back into antiquity, in fact as far back into history as ancient Egypt, and possibly even further. Interesting though that maybe, mostly, these ancient cook books were just very simple pictorial recipes for preparing meals.
The truth of the matter is, the most ancient recipe found, according to historians is a collection of tablets in ancient Sumerian describing the baking of bread which is then used to make a drink, quite possibly a form of beer as it is recorded as having made people feel blissful. Later on, in The time of the roman empire 25BC a roman called Apicius compiled a few scripts showing how to cook the recipes enjoyed by wealthy roman citizens. He recounts how the meals were split into hors d`oeuvre, main meal and afters, known in latin as `Gustatio, Primae Mensae and Secundae Mensae`. This early Roman chef recounts how the ancient cooks were skilled in the use of many herbs, including a few that are still present in modern kitchens for example basil, rue and dill. Later, there were some books which date from the 1300s : one book entitled `Forme of Cury`, and another entitled `Curye on Inglish`. Although the titles sound familiar, these have no connection with the spicy food that is served today, but instead recipes for the types of food on the tables of the rich people of that time. Later, in the fifteenth century, people returning from the crusades brought us a variety of spices and herbs from the Middle-East, such as basil and rosemary. The introduction of these new herbs and spices prompted an explosion in cookery books, the majority of which are kept safe in private collections. During the following few hundred years, the rich and powerful families of Wesstern Europe strove to serve the most exotic meals, and as a result cooks and their collection of recipes were greatly in demand. Even so, it wasn`t until the 19th century the formal cooking and cookery books became popular. Mrs Isabella Beeton in the UK, and the equally famous Fannie Farmer in the USA, spent years to collating, verifying, and recording the recipes of their peers. By the time we get to the 1900s, cookery books were greatly in demand mostly due to increased literacy, more free time and having more money. |
We hope you enjoy this Preserved Lemons recipe.
