We now interupt the crafting to bring you this important culinary tip!
My father in law, of blessed memory, didn’t usually meddle in the affairs of the kitchen, but one of my fond memories is watching him make a large batch of Moroccan pickled lemons in my kitchen. Lemons, kosher salt, large jars, and a technique passed down through the generations……I just adore the idea of large jars of pickled anything, but my success with pickled lemons has been only mediocre, and I really don’t love the mushy taste of them after they’d been around for awhile.
So, when I saw this quick recipe courtesy of Mark Bittman of the New York Times, I practically squeeled with joy, knowing I could whip this up as a surprise for my husband. And you should have seen the smile on his face when he spied the jar on the counter Friday night! So now that I’ve tried the recipe, and more importantly my Moroccan-born husband has tried the recipe, we give it the thumbs up. So very simple, and in my humble opinion, even more delicious than the real thing!
Ingredients:
- 4 lemons, preferably organic, but if not, blanched in boiling hot water
- 1 tablespoon Kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons of sugar
Preparation:
Remove seeds from lemons. Chop lemons into small pieces, rind and all, the smaller the better for those not so familiar with this pickle. Add salt and sugar, mix, and set aside at room temperature for three hours. That’s it! Store refrigerated for up to a week. (Though honestly I wouldn’t know what happens to it after a day or so, since my husband eats this by the spoonful!)
Enjoy with fish, mixed into a vegetable salad, as a side wtih middle eastern/Israeli salads, or even chicken! I especially enjoyed it in small quantities eaten together with techina on my whole wheat pitas….delicious!
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