Ingredients
The following ingredients have 4 Servings
- 1 kg (2 lb 4 oz) lemons or limes – if using limes, you may need a few extra if they aren’t particularly juicy
- 100–150 g (31⁄2 –51⁄2 oz) salt
- 1 bay leaf (or 1 cinnamon stick and 2 cloves)
- 1 allspice berry
- 10.00 black peppercorns
- 1 red chilli
- 1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
Instruction
- First sterilise your jars (see page 250), then leave to cool completely.
- Cut the lemons or limes into quarters, or halves if very small. Place a tablespoon of salt into the bottom of each jar. Put a few layers of lemon or lime quarters into the jar, pressing down as you go to release the fruit’s juices.
- Slide your chosen spices down the side of each jar. Sprinkle over another layer of salt, then add another layer of lemon or lime quarters and repeat these layers until the jar is full. Remember to keep pushing down as you go. The fruit needs to be completely covered in salty juice – if your fruit hasn’t released enough of its own juices, squeeze a few extra and pour in this juice to cover.
- Leave 1 cm (1⁄2 in) of space between the top of the fruit and the lid of the jar – you don’t want the salty fruit touching the lid or it will corrode the metal. Seal the jars and let them sit in a cool, dark place for 6 weeks.
- You know your lemons or limes are preserved when the salt has completely dissolved into a gel-like liquid. Preserved lemons and limes will keep for years, but opened jars are best stored in the fridge (if the top layer of fruit looks discoloured, just discard it and the rest should be fine to use).
