FBC and Lemons

Is summer already over? Do I now have to come back to my weekly blog posts? That was the plan before I decided to take a break but this break isn’t breaking! Blogging is a bit of work and this little habit of not having to work hard is becoming a bit of an indulgence. While I do think that a break is a good idea, I also think it can totally derail me from my well kept habits.

About a week back I received an email from the FBC (Food Bloggers of Canada).  It was an exciting email that came with homework. While I sat down to tackle my “homework” it felt good to be back at writing and reading blogs. Suddenly the inquisitiveness felt good. “How are ‘they’?” I thought. “What have they been doing all summer?”.

This week FBC has chosen Keep Calm and Eat On as their featured blog for which I am very thankful. If I hadn’t worked hard earlier I probably wouldn’t have caught their attention now, so I had better get back to blogging.

And for being so patient with me, I leave you with a recipe that tests your patience a bit further:  Preserved Lemons (at least they are done in 6 weeks or 1 – which takes less time than my comeback).

PRESERVED LEMONS( Moroccon)

Ingredients:

• Lemon: 4
• Lemon  juice: from 4 lemons
• Course sea salt: 1/3 cup or more
• bay leaf: 2
• cinnamon: 1 stick
• whole black peppercorns: 1/2 Tbsp
• vegetable oil: as needed

Method:

• Wash and clean lemons
• Make a cross wise slit almost up to the end keeping the lemon in one piece.
• Pack the slits of the lemons with course sea salt.
• Arrange lemons in a mason jar. Add the black peppercorns, bay leaf and the cinnamon sticks.
• Pour the lemon juice and the vegetable oil before sealing the jar.
• Leave jar in a cool dark space for 6 weeks. Every over week without opening tip the jar back and forth to let the salt and liquids mix.
• The preserved lemons can be used after 6 weeks and will last up to two years.

HOT ANS SPICY PRESERVED LEMONS (Indian)

Ingredients:

• Lemon: 4
• Lemon  juice: juice from 1 lemon
• Course sea salt: 1/4 cup or less
• bay leaf: 2
• Dried red chilli: 3 (or more if you like it hot)
• Coriander seeds: 1/2 Tbsp
• Garlic: 2 small coves (optional)
• Vegetable oil: as needed

Method:

• Wash and clean lemons
• Quarter the lemons or make slits the same way as the Moroccan lemons mentioned above.
• Arrange lemons in a mason jar. Add the spices.
• Pour the lemon juice and the vegetable oil before sealing the jar.
• Leave jar in on your windowsill to sit in the sun for a week. Tip the jar back and forth every other day to let the salt and liquids mix.
• The preserved lemons can be used after one week and will last up to two years.

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