Preserved lemons...and...

"mangodance" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I'm about to make some preserved lemons. Most recipes call
for kosher or sea salt. Is that really necessary? I have
it, but I'm just curios whether iodized would react
differently.

Paula Wolfert just says "salt", no fancy dodges for Moroccan
preserved lemons.

ant

"mangodance" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I'm about to make some preserved lemons. Most recipes call
for kosher or sea salt. Is that really necessary? I have
it, but I'm just curios whether iodized would react
differently.

Plain salt, sea salt and rock salt will be just fine as will
iodized but the latter is a waste of time unless you are a
long way from the sea and likely to suffer from Iodine
deficiency.

Quoted message said:

Also, has anyone used this method with other citrus
fruits?

Yes it works very well with limes. You get the same intense
citrus flavour but lime instead of lemon.

The only trick to it is to ensue that there is sufficient
juice/salt to cover the fruit otherwise it will get mouldy,
if this happens just throw out the mouldy bits on top and
make sure the rest stays covered. Adding some inert (glass,
pottery, etc) weight on top (inside the jar) to push the
fruit down can assist.

David

David Hare-Scott said:

The only trick to it is to ensue that there is sufficient
juice/salt to cover the fruit otherwise it will get
mouldy, if this happens just throw out the mouldy bits on
top and make sure the rest stays covered. Adding some
inert (glass, pottery, etc) weight on top (inside the jar)
to push the fruit down can assist.

Everything I've ever seen or heard said to pack them down
HARD so they don't float up. I had my entire fist down in
the cannisters packing down the lemons. But they all still
float up. If they didn't, I'd have a safe 2" or so of juice
covering them. Will they be less buoyant in a day or two? I
keep pushing them down but they're up w/in mins. I've been
scrambling for something made of glass that can go in the
top of the cannister and add weight enough to stay submerged
but no luck yet.

BTW, All the careful cutting into quarters but leaving them
attached at one end was for naught. Many ripped free during
the squeezing/packing. It seems to me that it would be
easier just to quarter them fully and pack better. Does
anyone just use cut lemons?

On Mon, 07 Jun 2004 11:39:36 -0400, mangodance <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

David Hare-Scott said:

The only trick to it is to ensue that there is sufficient

juice/salt to

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

cover the fruit otherwise it will get mouldy, if this
happens just

throw out

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

the mouldy bits on top and make sure the rest stays
covered.

Adding some

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

inert (glass, pottery, etc) weight on top (inside the
jar) to push

the fruit

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

down can assist.

Everything I've ever seen or heard said to pack them
down HARD so

they

Quoted message said:

don't float up. I had my entire fist down in the cannisters
packing down the lemons. But they all still float up. If
they didn't, I'd

have

Quoted message said:

a safe 2" or so of juice covering them. Will they be less
buoyant in

a

Quoted message said:

day or two? I keep pushing them down but they're up w/in
mins. I've been scrambling for something made of glass that
can go in the top of the cannister and add weight enough to
stay submerged but no luck

yet.

Quoted message said:

BTW, All the careful cutting into quarters but leaving
them attached

at

Quoted message said:

one end was for naught. Many ripped free during the

squeezing/packing.

Quoted message said:

It seems to me that it would be easier just to quarter
them fully

and

Quoted message said:

pack better. Does anyone just use cut lemons?

This may be OT but, in Hawaii, you often saw Lemons in large
Mayonnaise containers on tops of roofs. So I did the recipe
one time. You pack the big jar full of Lemons, then pour
salt. No water, no nothing else. When the jar, after a few
months of sitting in the sun looked juicy and ready, you
popped open the jar and had preserved lemons. I don't know
if this was a Japanese recipe or Chinese or Hawaiian, but as
a kid growing up in Hawaii, the jars of Lemon were every
where! Very tasty! Makes my mouth salivate just to remember
the taste. One small bite *yowser*.

aloha, Thunder smithfarms.comsmithfarms.comOpen ↗ Farmers & Sellers
of 100% Kona Coffee & other Great Stuff

This is Noel in Napa, California, weighing in. I've been
making preserved lemons for donkeys' years *(about 30 years)
and know exactly the problem you're experiencing (BTW, I'm a
sea salt, non-iodized, user and I like them spiced with a
bit of cinnamon stick, black pepper, bay leaf, and coriander
seed). I make a lot of different citrus pickles (Indian),
and you begin to get a sense of what will work over time.
Presoaking and thorough cleaning is imperative. I use a
stiff brush and get all the dirt and grime off. I then
"polish" them dry with a rough towel, and work over a bowl
to catch the juice and salt. I only use glass and ceramin,
no metal. Some of my tricks may be from India pickling
sources, but they work in a North African modality as well.

The trick to non-bobbing lemons is the right jar. It should
be one with "shoulders," narrowing toward the mouth. I use a
glass canning jar with a glass lid and rubber gasket. It's a
bit of a balancing act, but you need to gauge the jar size
to the amount of lemons to that when you've just about
filled it, you cram in about 5-10 more, effectively wedging
them beneath the "shoulder" of the jar. You really have to
exert some force to make sure they're "trapped" beneath the
"shoulder." You then have a bit of "head room" at the mouth
of the jar, and you can top off the jar with more lemon
juice (or, if you've run out of lemons, a bit of boiled
water will work). The lemons should be so tightly packed
that they don't shift or move at all when you shake the jar;
only the fluid should slosh, not the lemons.

And yes, they do "relax" as they ferment, so you can
continue to smush them down as they soften.

Regarding the quartering question, you should be making 4
slits along the length of the lemon, but starting and
stopping about 1/2" away from each end. When you're salting,
you squish down the lemon, pour in the salt, turn, do it
again, etc. When you're done, the lemon "reforms." Yes, you
will break some when you're backing them in, but if you're
careful, you'll keep them whole. I use the "broken" sections
as packing material to wedge in the whole lemons.

BTW, be aware that there is a whole lot of fermentation
which takes place and it seems to be completely random. I
recently made two huge batches. Identical lemons, jars,
salt, etc. One jar when on ferment, burping, squirting
for about a month and a half; the other settled down in
two weeks.

The juice/liquid in the jars because quite cloudy, but it
suddenly clears when the the fermentation stops. You have
to shake the jars every day while they're active. After
they've finished, they can lie quiet. Be aware that a lot
of pressure can build up in the jars, so open them over a
sink and away from your body or you can get covered with
lemony brine!

A funny story about preserved lemons. I'd been making them
for years, according to Paula's recipe, and loved them. When
I finally got to Morocco and tasted the lemons there, I was
very disappointed! No flavor, or really a bit soapy. When I
got back to the states, I plucked up my courage and phone
Paula Wolfert to find out what the deal was. She was kind
enough to validate my discovery, saying, in effect, that her
recipe (and its reliance on lemon juice rather than water),
was really "palace style" and produced a superior product! I
was relieved to hear it. She's a wonderful person and very
generous with her information, exactly as you'd expect from
such an excellent author.

mangodance <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

David Hare-Scott said:

The only trick to it is to ensue that there is
sufficient juice/salt to cover the fruit otherwise it
will get mouldy, if this happens just throw out the
mouldy bits on top and make sure the rest stays covered.
Adding some inert (glass, pottery, etc) weight on top
(inside the jar) to push the fruit down can assist.

Everything I've ever seen or heard said to pack them down
HARD so they don't float up. I had my entire fist down in
the cannisters packing down the lemons. But they all still
float up. If they didn't, I'd have a safe 2" or so of
juice covering them. Will they be less buoyant in a day or
two? I keep pushing them down but they're up w/in mins.
I've been scrambling for something made of glass that can
go in the top of the cannister and add weight enough to
stay submerged but no luck yet.

BTW, All the careful cutting into quarters but leaving
them attached at one end was for naught. Many ripped free
during the squeezing/packing. It seems to me that it would
be easier just to quarter them fully and pack better. Does
anyone just use cut lemons?

mangodance said:

BTW, All the careful cutting into quarters but leaving
them attached at one end was for naught. Many ripped free
during the squeezing/packing. It seems to me that it would
be easier just to quarter them fully and pack better. Does
anyone just use cut lemons?

I once saw some, where they had left them attached top AND
bottom. So they were lemons with 4 very deep slashes. I
imagine you have to push the salt in, but they would keep
their shape better.

--
ant Remove AU to reply

"mangodance" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

BTW, All the careful cutting into quarters but leaving
them attached at one end was for naught. Many ripped free
during the squeezing/packing. It seems to me that it would
be easier just to quarter them fully and pack better. Does
anyone just use cut lemons?

I just quarter them, I have no idea what the claimed benefit
of leaving them attached might be.

David

smithfarms pure kona said:

This may be OT but, in Hawaii, you often saw Lemons in
large Mayonnaise containers on tops of roofs. So I did the
recipe one time. You pack the big jar full of Lemons, then
pour salt. No water, no nothing else. When the jar, after
a few months of sitting in the sun looked juicy and ready,
you popped open the jar and had preserved lemons. I don't
know if this was a Japanese recipe or Chinese or Hawaiian,
but as a kid growing up in Hawaii, the jars of Lemon were
every where! Very tasty! Makes my mouth salivate just to
remember the taste. One small bite *yowser*.

I've gotten bad results making PL this way. I prefer to keep
them out of light, not in, otherwise they oxidize and become
brown. They don't taste good that way, IMO.

--
Reg email: RegForte (at) (that free MS email service) (dot)
com

Noel Gieleghem said:

When I got back to the states, I plucked up my courage
and phone Paula Wolfert to find out what the deal was.
She was kind enough to validate my discovery, saying, in
effect, that her recipe (and its reliance on lemon juice
rather than water), was really "palace style" and
produced a superior product! I was relieved to hear it.

excellent post and great info! I'm a great fan of Paula
Wolfert, her book got me into Moroccan cooking and her
directions ensure success.

--
ant Remove AU to reply

I found your post very informative. I've never made
preserved lemons before - but I was looking for detailed
info to do just that. That's how I happened to join this
newsgroup. I'm assuming that you just clean the lemons -
quarter them - and layer them in a jar with salt, put them
in a dark place and wait?

Would anyone be willing to divulge kindergarten
instructions? You speak of lemon juice - do you squeeze them
before placing in the jar? When using the gasket jar - I'm
reading that you lock the top?

I've ever only seen this done on foodtv where they sliced
them and placed them in jars. I've tried to find the recipe
on that site - but can't seem to find it.

thanks for any and all info.

Susie

"Noel Gieleghem" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

This is Noel in Napa, California, weighing in. I've been
making preserved lemons for donkeys' years *(about 30
years) and know exactly the problem you're experiencing
(BTW, I'm a sea salt, non-iodized, user and I like them
spiced with a bit of cinnamon stick, black pepper, bay
leaf, and coriander seed). I make a lot of different
citrus pickles (Indian), and you begin to get a sense of
what will work over time. Presoaking and thorough cleaning
is imperative. I use a stiff brush and get all the dirt
and grime off. I then "polish" them dry with a rough
towel, and work over a bowl to catch the juice and salt. I
only use glass and ceramin, no metal. Some of my tricks
may be from India pickling sources, but they work in a
North African modality as well.

The trick to non-bobbing lemons is the right jar. It
should be one with "shoulders," narrowing toward the
mouth. I use a glass canning jar with a glass lid and
rubber gasket. It's a bit of a balancing act, but you need
to gauge the jar size to the amount of lemons to that when
you've just about filled it, you cram in about 5-10 more,
effectively wedging them beneath the "shoulder" of the
jar. You really have to exert some force to make sure
they're "trapped" beneath the "shoulder." You then have a
bit of "head room" at the mouth of the jar, and you can
top off the jar with more lemon juice (or, if you've run
out of lemons, a bit of boiled water will work). The
lemons should be so tightly packed that they don't shift
or move at all when you shake the jar; only the fluid
should slosh, not the lemons.

And yes, they do "relax" as they ferment, so you can
continue to smush them down as they soften.

Regarding the quartering question, you should be making 4
slits along the length of the lemon, but starting and
stopping about 1/2" away from each end. When you're
salting, you squish down the lemon, pour in the salt,
turn, do it again, etc. When you're done, the lemon
"reforms." Yes, you will break some when you're backing
them in, but if you're careful, you'll keep them whole. I
use the "broken" sections as packing material to wedge in
the whole lemons.

BTW, be aware that there is a whole lot of fermentation
which takes place and it seems to be completely random. I
recently made two huge batches. Identical lemons, jars,
salt, etc. One jar when on ferment, burping, squirting
for about a month and a half; the other settled down in
two weeks.

The juice/liquid in the jars because quite cloudy, but it
suddenly clears when the the fermentation stops. You have
to shake the jars every day while they're active. After
they've finished, they can lie quiet. Be aware that a lot
of pressure can build up in the jars, so open them over a
sink and away from your body or you can get covered with
lemony brine!

A funny story about preserved lemons. I'd been making them
for years, according to Paula's recipe, and loved them.
When I finally got to Morocco and tasted the lemons there,
I was very disappointed! No flavor, or really a bit soapy.
When I got back to the states, I plucked up my courage and
phone Paula Wolfert to find out what the deal was. She was
kind enough to validate my discovery, saying, in effect,
that her recipe (and its reliance on lemon juice rather
than water), was really "palace style" and produced a
superior product! I was relieved to hear it. She's a
wonderful person and very generous with her information,
exactly as you'd expect from such an excellent author.

mangodance <[email hidden]> wrote in message

news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

David Hare-Scott said:

The only trick to it is to ensue that there is
sufficient juice/salt

to

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

cover the fruit otherwise it will get mouldy, if this
happens just

throw out

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

the mouldy bits on top and make sure the rest stays
covered. Adding

some

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

inert (glass, pottery, etc) weight on top (inside the
jar) to push the

fruit

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

down can assist.

Everything I've ever seen or heard said to pack them
down HARD so they don't float up. I had my entire fist
down in the cannisters packing down the lemons. But they
all still float up. If they didn't, I'd have a safe 2"
or so of juice covering them. Will they be less buoyant
in a day or two? I keep pushing them down but they're up
w/in mins. I've been scrambling for something made of
glass that can go in the top of the cannister and add
weight enough to stay submerged but no luck yet.

BTW, All the careful cutting into quarters but leaving
them attached at one end was for naught. Many ripped
free during the squeezing/packing. It seems to me that
it would be easier just to quarter them fully and pack
better. Does anyone just use cut lemons?

I'll try to type in English this time around. Just re-read
my last post--still shuddering at my typos! You'd never know
English was my mother tongue. Arrrrgggh.

I think the "to quarter or not to quarter" (sounds like
Hamlet) issue is a matter of tradition and aesthetics. When
you buy preserved lemons in Morocco, they're sold "loose,"
not in a jar; they hand them to you wrapped in a plastic
bag. Shopkeepers in the souk do wonderful displays of
different colored olives, preserved lemons, etc., something
akin to a food mosaic. Quite stunning.

Regarding the "solarization" of lemons, that's so funny to
hear that this is somewhat of a global concept. You do that
with Indian lemons pickles, letting them "cook" in the hot
sun. I've read that it's supposed to "sterilize" them, but
I'm not sure how. They do oxidize, though, it's true, but
with Indian lemons pickles they're usually coated with chili
anyway, so it's no big deal. Vietnames "chan mui" are so
akin to preserved lemons that you can substitute preserved
lemons to make that drink if you're desperate for it.

I prefer to make my preserved lemons with Meyer "lemons"
(not really a lemon, I know, but a hybrid sort of thing)
which are readily (and abundantly) available at certain
times of the year here in Northern California. Ponderosas
and Eurekas work as well (they have a much thicker rind),
but they're a bit more sour and more difficult to come by
organically and in bulk.

One of the benefits of having preserved lemons about the
kitchen is the juice, which becomes quite syrupy and
delicious over time. I really use this more than the whole
lemons. If you're able to keep lemons for a few years (!),
the juice becomes gelatinous and the fruit dark brown. The
flavor becomes much more complex as well, especially if
you've used spices. Excellent in combination with
pomegranate syrup (buy Persian, not Lebanese, more refined
flavor--they don't seem to grind in the rind and seeds when
they make it) as a marinade for meat.

On a final(and rather neurotic) note, I do observe the
convention of never sticking a dirty/oily spoon (or finger)
in the pickle jar. Seems they don't like oil much. This is
odd as there's a whole sub-genre of oil-based preserved
lemons (it's more a Middle Eastern thing than a North
African one).

So who wants to talk about warka/b'stilla/spring roll
skins/popiah? LOL. I posted a few years back, but couldn't
get any takers.....It's a fascinating subject, and they're
much more fun than phyllo dough (yuck!)

"David Hare-Scott" <[email hidden]> wrote in
message news:<veexc.18541$rz4.16863@news-
server.bigpond.net.au>...

Quoted message said:

"mangodance" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

BTW, All the careful cutting into quarters but leaving
them attached at one end was for naught. Many ripped
free during the squeezing/packing. It seems to me that
it would be easier just to quarter them fully and pack
better. Does anyone just use cut lemons?

I just quarter them, I have no idea what the claimed
benefit of leaving them attached might be.

David

Noel Gieleghem said:

I prefer to make my preserved lemons with Meyer "lemons"
(not really a lemon, I know, but a hybrid sort of thing)

eh? Meyers are the only lemons that grow successfully in
Canberra (heavy frosts, dry climate). I thought they were
lemons! I'll use any lemons I can get my hands on though.

Quoted message said:

On a final(and rather neurotic) note, I do observe the
convention of never sticking a dirty/oily spoon (or
finger) in the pickle jar. Seems they don't like oil much.
This is odd as there's a whole sub-genre of oil-based
preserved lemons (it's more a Middle Eastern thing than a
North African one).

I haven't had any of these lemons for a while...I teach
skiing in Oz and the US and I can't have gardens, or pets,
or preserved lemons, or smen....or any of these good things.
although I'm thinking of doing it again anyway.

I used very large jars with a spring-form glass lid. I
sterilised them, used a lot of salt in each layer, and if I
took out a lemon I sprinkled some salt where it'd been. I
did get some vapour building up, when the lid was released,
gas would pop out. the lemons were good, however. but I
found after some time, the rubber around the lid perished
and the metal started to corrode too.

Quoted message said:

So who wants to talk about warka/b'stilla/spring roll
skins/popiah? LOL. I posted a few years back, but couldn't
get any takers.....It's a fascinating subject, and they're
much more fun than phyllo dough (yuck!)

Never had the guts to try making warka! Wolfert's
instructions are clear, but it just looks very tricky. so
you can use spring roll skins in place of it???? I've always
wanted to try making bistiya.

I am just now barbequing a 6 pound leg of veal. I covered it
in lime juice and then chermoula (a mix got from a large
spice merchant here). I did this with a smaller bit last
week, and got a very nice effect much like the Doner Kebab
you buy from middle eastern food places. I've put some bits
of eucalyptus in the BBQ to provide some smoke.

--
ant Remove AU to reply

"SS2" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I found your post very informative. I've never made
preserved lemons before - but I was looking for detailed
info to do just that. That's how

I

Quoted message said:

happened to join this newsgroup. I'm assuming that you
just clean the lemons - quarter them - and layer them in a
jar with salt, put them in a dark place and wait?

Would anyone be willing to divulge kindergarten
instructions? You speak

of

Quoted message said:

lemon juice - do you squeeze them before placing in the
jar? When using

the

Quoted message said:

gasket jar - I'm reading that you lock the top?

This can be made in almost any quantity. The best time to do
it is when lemons are plentiful and cheap. I have used
various types but prefer the smooth skin type. This method
of preservation works very well on limes too. Some recipes
say to add water. I don't as I want the mix to be high in
acid and salt in order to discourage microorganisms without
refrigeration. Some say the mix will (should) ferment. I
have not had that experience and mine turn out very well. I
would be suspicious of any fermentation.

Use a glass or ceramic jar with a good sealing lid, the
size depends on how many lemons you have. Clean and dry
the lemons and slice in quarters lengthwise, keep back
some for juicing. Layer them into the jar tightly and
sprinkle each layer liberally with salt, squish down hard
and add some juice every few layers. Fill almost to the
brim and seal the lid.

After a few days the salt should draw much of the juice
out. Check them and make sure a) there is enough juice to
cover the top layer b) the top layer is actually under the
juice c) all the air bubbles are out. If not add more
juice and salt and/or squish down, an inert disk (glass
lid or similar) that fits inside and holds down the lemons
can be useful if they keep popping up. Some commercial
offerings come with a plastic crown-shaped ring that fits
in the neck and is held down by the lid. Of course
something held by the lid isn't much use once the level
drops as you start to use them.

Check again in a week If all is well leave for 6-8 weeks
before starting to use them. I suspect that they mature
faster in warmer weather but I haven't kept detailed
records. They should keep indefinitely in the jar. If you
get any mould, scrape it out and make sure the remaining
skins are covered with juice/salt. A little mould on top is
no reason to ditch the lot, it is probably quite harmless.

To use, scoop out the pulp with your thumb (it should be
quite soft and separate fairly easily from the rind, if it
doesn't they are not ready yet) and discard. Wash the rind
under the tap and slice thinly. Some say that you can use
the pulp, I don't, if you use sufficient salt to preserve
the lemons without refrigeration the pulp will be VERY
salty. When the jar is finished you can recycle the juice in
the bottom for your next batch. The juice will become very
thick over time and tend to darken in colour. When you toss
it and start fresh is up to you but I doubt that anything
harmful can grow in it. Obviously to have a continuous
supply you need two jars.

Gasket jars give a good seal but if they are the type
with a wire clip the wire is likely to corrode from the
salt in time.

David

ant said:

Noel Gieleghem said:

I prefer to make my preserved lemons with Meyer "lemons"
(not really a lemon, I know, but a hybrid sort of thing)

eh? Meyers are the only lemons that grow successfully in
Canberra (heavy frosts, dry climate). I thought they were
lemons! I'll use any lemons I can get my hands on though.

I like Meyers as they're good for pot growing.

Quoted message said:

lengthwise, keep back some for juicing. Layer them into the
jar tightly

and

Quoted message said:

sprinkle each layer liberally with salt, squish down hard
and add some

juice

Quoted message said:

every few layers. Fill almost to the brim and seal the lid.

Should it be iodized or non iodized salt?

As always, the topic of preserving lemons brings out the
most fascinating folks. I'd given up on rec.food.cooking
years ago (I'm of the Bharati/Trillium years--late 90s--when
it was quite fun and frolicksome) due to snarkiness, but
that seems to have passed. Huzzah! If you search back to
that period, there's a ton of info preserved lemons, too. I
looked last night and recalled I have a long "how-to" which
is inappropriate to post here, but which I'd be happy to e-
mail in PDF format to anyone foolish enough to ask.

Re David's comment on lack of fermentation...that's so
amazing. Mine have always "misbehaved" and fermented. It
would be interesting to compare the two and see what the
flavor difference (if any) might be. Virtual taste testing
would be such fun. I've always accepted it as a fact, and
they definitely change in flavor over their course of their
lives. They settle down after about a month, and just mellow
after that. I don't ever refrigerate and mine don't mould,
althought they are very frisky in the fermentation stage.

Regarding Citrus 'Meyer,' I questioned myself as to why I
thought it wasn't really a "true" lemon. Poking around in
"The Garden Plants of China" I found that unlike lemons
(Citrus x limon), those all-knowing horticulture types class
it as Citrus x meyeri (a fine point, I know). "It has been
suggested that it may be a hybrid of the lemon and some type
of orange." I remember being "corrected" by some
horticulturist in my youth about this (they love to correct,
it seems), and the info stuck. No big deal; they taste great
(I prefer them to "real" lemons). "The fruits are less acid
than those of other lemons and have a slightly different
flavour." It's a great book for people of a
horticultural/cooking bent, by Peter Valder.

Meyers are seldom available commerically (or are very
expensive if they are) as they're difficult to ship ripe,
so here in NorCal there's sort of a Meyer lemon
undergroud and you pass them around in grocery sacks when
they're in season.

Noel in Napa

"leebee" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<2inhrmFpc6lvU1@uni-
berlin.de>...

Quoted message said:

ant said:

Noel Gieleghem said:

I prefer to make my preserved lemons with Meyer
"lemons" (not really a lemon, I know, but a hybrid sort
of thing)

eh? Meyers are the only lemons that grow successfully in
Canberra (heavy frosts, dry climate). I thought they
were lemons! I'll use any lemons I can get my hands on
though.

I like Meyers as they're good for pot growing.

John D. Misrahi said:

Quoted message said:

lengthwise, keep back some for juicing. Layer them into
the jar tightly

and

Quoted message said:

sprinkle each layer liberally with salt, squish down hard
and add some

juice

Quoted message said:

every few layers. Fill almost to the brim and seal
the lid.

Should it be iodized or non iodized salt?

All preserved things should use pickling salt only, it has
*no* additives. Kosher salt sometimes has a substance to
help it flow, and iodized salt may turn the pickle a muddy
color. Edrena

Noel Gieleghem said:

Re David's comment on lack of fermentation...that's so
amazing. Mine have always "misbehaved" and fermented.

yeah, both my big jars would go "fomp" when you released the
lid spring. Didn't seem to be a problem though. I made Smen,
too, as per Wolfert's instructions. My jar was still fine
after 5 years!

Quoted message said:

It's a great book for people of a horticultural/cooking
bent, by Peter Valder.

I think he is Australian?! He did an excellent book on
Wisteria a few years back.

Quoted message said:

Meyers are seldom available commerically (or are very
expensive if they are) as they're difficult to ship ripe,
so here in NorCal there's sort of a Meyer lemon
undergroud and you pass them around in grocery sacks when
they're in season.

Well, it's the variety people grow here in Canberra, as it's
the only one that can stand the conditions here.

--
ant Remove AU to reply

Noel Gieleghem said:

Re David's comment on lack of fermentation...that's so
amazing. Mine have always "misbehaved" and fermented. It
would be interesting to compare the two and see what the
flavor difference (if any) might be. Virtual taste testing
would be such fun. I've always accepted it as a fact, and
they definitely change in flavor over their course of
their lives. They settle down after about a month, and
just mellow after that. I don't ever refrigerate and mine
don't mould, althought they are very frisky in the
fermentation stage.

I'm 3 weeks or so into my first batch and I have yet to see
real fermentation. I took off the snap-top metal and glass
top and used a cut freezer bag with a pinhole or two and
thick rubber bands to cover the cannisters. I just eyeballed
the salt...but used PLENTY. I have had a hell of a time
keeping lemons submerged. I'm going to use a baster to get
some of the liquid out, and push in a heavy glass on the
top. The rinds are looking somewhat translucent though. I
wonder if I maybe used so much salt that fermentation isn't
going to happen? Anyone?