The Food Of Morocco
Preserved Lemons
Page 21
Cuisine: Moroccan/Algerian/Tunisian | Course Type: Condiments
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Recipe Review
Rating based on instructions. This is the second time I've made preserved lemons. I found the instructions in Wolfert's earlier book Couscous and Other Good Food from Morocco to be clearer. Also, the earlier book offers an optional spice mixture to be added to the lemons as they're "brewing".
The newer instructions also say to refrigerate the lemons for up to a year. The older ones say that they will keep a year. Period. I can't imagine that such an acidic condiment needs to be refrigerated. At any rate, we've survived the last jar sitting on its unrefrigerated shelf.
I'd suggest using smallish lemons for this. It takes a lot of effort to jam five bigger lemons into a one-liter jar. And have lots of extra lemons on hand for the juice to cover. Both times it's taken much more than 1/2 cup.
I'm still not sure if I should use coarse- or fine-grained salt. I used coarse this time, but I see there's still quite a bit undissolved on the bottom of the jar. I can't remember if the first batch was like this with the finer salt.
(Ha, I've just noticed that the single lemon remaining in my older jar has the same kind of grayish tint that the jarred ones in the shop have. Not really gray, but the color is less vividly lemon yellow. I wonder when this happened that I didn't notice.)
I have the feeling that a "recipe" for preserved lemons is a bit of an overstatement. It's really more like a technique; probably easier to see someone do it in person. Quantities are all approximate.
Comments
BethNH - 21st February 2012
Although the recipe and technique is different, this YouTube video answers some of the questions about which salt to use and I found it helpful for showing a great way to cut the lemons which I hadn't understood by reading the recipe.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApblfnsB5pE&feature=results_main&playnext=1&list=PL70D66305A708DFDB
kaye16 - 21st February 2012
Super video, thanks. I've never seen instructions to cut the lemons like that. And look at her nice squat, wide jar! I'm going to look for one like that, rather than using a taller French canning jar. I was surprised that she used iodized salt, and that no extra lemon juice was added from the beginning.
Queezle_Sister - 23rd February 2012
There is also some information in the New York Time:
http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/02/17/preserving-lemons-the-traditional-way/
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