https://twitchinkitchen.com/ Wed, 06 May 2026 12:07:24 +0000 MyBB https://twitchinkitchen.com/thread-475.html Tue, 24 Aug 2010 10:25:38 -0400 https://twitchinkitchen.com/thread-475.html

Pear Honey

4 cups crushed pears
4 cup sugar
1 can crushed pineapple

Combine all ingredients. Cook for 20-30 minutes
Place in jars, and process.
Makes about 4 ½ pints.


Enjoy,
Dag]]>

Pear Honey

4 cups crushed pears
4 cup sugar
1 can crushed pineapple

Combine all ingredients. Cook for 20-30 minutes
Place in jars, and process.
Makes about 4 ½ pints.


Enjoy,
Dag]]> https://twitchinkitchen.com/thread-293.html Wed, 17 Sep 2008 14:45:16 -0400 https://twitchinkitchen.com/thread-293.html
Preserved lemons lend a unique and distinctive flavor to North African dishes. you find the softened lemons in jars, or sold loose in street markets. They are now also common fare in the south of France. You can make them yourself. They take about 4 weeks to mature and can last a year. When they are ready to use, the pulp is scooped out and thrown away - only the skin is eaten. You can use small limes with thin skins or ordinary lemons with thick skins.

There are three common ways of making them.

Hamad M'Rakad
Preserved Lemons

Lemons Preserved in Salt and Lemon Juice

In this method, which is considered most prestigious and gives the best results, no water is used. You will need 1/3 cup of salt for 1 pound lemons. This works out at about 4 tablespoons salt for 4 lemons.

Ingredients:

4 lemons (choose them with thick skins)
4 tablespoons sea salt (very important to use sea salt for this!)
Juice of 4 more lemons or more

Wash and scrub the lemons. The classic Moroccan way is to cut each lemon in quarters but not right through, so that the pieces are still attached at the stem ends, and to stuff each with plenty of salt. Put them in a glass jar, pressing them down so that they are squashed together, and close the jar.

Leave for 3 - 4 days, by which time the lemons will have released some of their juices and the skins will have softened a little. Press them down as much as you can and add fresh lemon juice to cover them entirely.

Close the jar and leave in a cool place for at least a month, after which they should be ready. The longer they are left, the better the flavor.

Before using, rinse to get rid of the salt and scoop out and discard the pulp.

Note: If a piece of lemon is not covered with juice, it develops a white mold which is harmless and just needs to be washes off.

---

Lemons Pickled in Brine

This is the same procedure as above but instead of adding lemon juice, cover the lemons with brine made by adding 2 tablespoons salt to warm water. Lemons prepared this way take longer to mature. Some people pour a little oil on top as a protective film.

---

Lemons Boiled in Brine and Preserved in Oil

This quick, unorthodox method gives very good results in 4 days, and the lemons last for months.

With a sharp knife make 8 fine - superficial, not deep - incisions into the lemon skin, from one end of the lemon to the other. Put the lemons in a large pan with salted water (about 8 tablespoons salt for 8 lemons) to cover. Put a smaller lid on top of them to keep them down as they float, and boil for about 25 minutes, or until the peels are very soft. When cool enough to handle, scoop out the flesh, pack the skins in a glass jar and cover with olive oil. They are ready to use after 4 days or even sooner.

edit 5/18/2010: These are my lemons that I made in March. I used the salt method. See post #8 for my comment.

Click the images for a full sized view:


  Preserved Lemons.jpg (Size: 257.15 KB / Downloads: 1)
  pLemons.jpg (Size: 268.82 KB / Downloads: 2) ]]>
Preserved lemons lend a unique and distinctive flavor to North African dishes. you find the softened lemons in jars, or sold loose in street markets. They are now also common fare in the south of France. You can make them yourself. They take about 4 weeks to mature and can last a year. When they are ready to use, the pulp is scooped out and thrown away - only the skin is eaten. You can use small limes with thin skins or ordinary lemons with thick skins.

There are three common ways of making them.

Hamad M'Rakad
Preserved Lemons

Lemons Preserved in Salt and Lemon Juice

In this method, which is considered most prestigious and gives the best results, no water is used. You will need 1/3 cup of salt for 1 pound lemons. This works out at about 4 tablespoons salt for 4 lemons.

Ingredients:

4 lemons (choose them with thick skins)
4 tablespoons sea salt (very important to use sea salt for this!)
Juice of 4 more lemons or more

Wash and scrub the lemons. The classic Moroccan way is to cut each lemon in quarters but not right through, so that the pieces are still attached at the stem ends, and to stuff each with plenty of salt. Put them in a glass jar, pressing them down so that they are squashed together, and close the jar.

Leave for 3 - 4 days, by which time the lemons will have released some of their juices and the skins will have softened a little. Press them down as much as you can and add fresh lemon juice to cover them entirely.

Close the jar and leave in a cool place for at least a month, after which they should be ready. The longer they are left, the better the flavor.

Before using, rinse to get rid of the salt and scoop out and discard the pulp.

Note: If a piece of lemon is not covered with juice, it develops a white mold which is harmless and just needs to be washes off.

---

Lemons Pickled in Brine

This is the same procedure as above but instead of adding lemon juice, cover the lemons with brine made by adding 2 tablespoons salt to warm water. Lemons prepared this way take longer to mature. Some people pour a little oil on top as a protective film.

---

Lemons Boiled in Brine and Preserved in Oil

This quick, unorthodox method gives very good results in 4 days, and the lemons last for months.

With a sharp knife make 8 fine - superficial, not deep - incisions into the lemon skin, from one end of the lemon to the other. Put the lemons in a large pan with salted water (about 8 tablespoons salt for 8 lemons) to cover. Put a smaller lid on top of them to keep them down as they float, and boil for about 25 minutes, or until the peels are very soft. When cool enough to handle, scoop out the flesh, pack the skins in a glass jar and cover with olive oil. They are ready to use after 4 days or even sooner.

edit 5/18/2010: These are my lemons that I made in March. I used the salt method. See post #8 for my comment.

Click the images for a full sized view:


  Preserved Lemons.jpg (Size: 257.15 KB / Downloads: 1)
  pLemons.jpg (Size: 268.82 KB / Downloads: 2) ]]> https://twitchinkitchen.com/thread-232.html Tue, 27 May 2008 11:32:11 -0400 https://twitchinkitchen.com/thread-232.html

These are bright pink in color and have a unique bold taste. I make a batch of these every couple of years when the turnip harvest in the supermarkets look good.

They are so easy to make and give any dish a festive color on the plate.

Turnip Pickles
Lift

*this recipe makes about 6 quarts - adjust accordingly if you need less. They keep very well in a cool dark place.

Ingredients:

4 medium sized beets (for color)
10 -12 lbs (6 quarts) of small white turnips, peeled and cut into quarters
garlic cloves, peeled (a lot!)
coarse pickling salt (Kosher salt will be fine)
10 cups water
4 cups white vinegar

Boil the beets until tender then peel and cut into quarters.
Divide the turnips evenly between the six sterilized quart jars. Add 1 beet quarter, 1 garlic clove, and 1 teaspoon of coarse salt to each jar.

Combine the water and the vinegar and bring to aboil, then lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

Place a towel under the jars, then pour enough hot vinegar solution to cover the contents. Seal the jars IMMEDIATELY and allow to cool.

Store in a cool dry place.
The pickles will be ready in 2 - 3 weeks.

Note: This measured quantity of vinegar and water, with the coarse salt added to each jar is suitable for pickling many other vegetables. Some examples:
cauliflower florets
carrots
small peppers
green tomatoes
gherkin-sized cucumbers
okra and more.

[attachment=22] [attachment=23]

  pickled turnips.jpg (Size: 17.6 KB / Downloads: 5)

  turnips and olives.jpg (Size: 59.69 KB / Downloads: 1) ]]>

These are bright pink in color and have a unique bold taste. I make a batch of these every couple of years when the turnip harvest in the supermarkets look good.

They are so easy to make and give any dish a festive color on the plate.

Turnip Pickles
Lift

*this recipe makes about 6 quarts - adjust accordingly if you need less. They keep very well in a cool dark place.

Ingredients:

4 medium sized beets (for color)
10 -12 lbs (6 quarts) of small white turnips, peeled and cut into quarters
garlic cloves, peeled (a lot!)
coarse pickling salt (Kosher salt will be fine)
10 cups water
4 cups white vinegar

Boil the beets until tender then peel and cut into quarters.
Divide the turnips evenly between the six sterilized quart jars. Add 1 beet quarter, 1 garlic clove, and 1 teaspoon of coarse salt to each jar.

Combine the water and the vinegar and bring to aboil, then lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

Place a towel under the jars, then pour enough hot vinegar solution to cover the contents. Seal the jars IMMEDIATELY and allow to cool.

Store in a cool dry place.
The pickles will be ready in 2 - 3 weeks.

Note: This measured quantity of vinegar and water, with the coarse salt added to each jar is suitable for pickling many other vegetables. Some examples:
cauliflower florets
carrots
small peppers
green tomatoes
gherkin-sized cucumbers
okra and more.

[attachment=22] [attachment=23]

  pickled turnips.jpg (Size: 17.6 KB / Downloads: 5)

  turnips and olives.jpg (Size: 59.69 KB / Downloads: 1) ]]>