Preserving Lemons/Citrus
Apr 3, 2020 23:04:55 GMT -5
simplynaturalfarm, treatlisa, and 3 more like this
Post by lew92 on Apr 3, 2020 23:04:55 GMT -5
I buy lemons when they go on sale. But it seems like I never have fresh ones on hand when I need one. So I came up with a few ways to hold them over for those thin times.
Four different ways I preserve citrus, mainly lemons. From left to right: Salt preserved lemons, Citrus Syrup, Citrus extract, Meyer lemons and fresh ginger in Manuka honey.
Salt-preserved Lemons
Thinly slice lemons, removing any seeds. Layer slices with canning salt in a pint sized jar. Store in refrigerator. Preserved lemons are a staple in North African cuisine. I made them because I was curious. I have used them for chicken dishes, adding a bright flavor.
Citrus Syrup
Using a zesting grater, remove zest without pith from your choice of citrus fruit. The pictured jar is a combination of lemon, Meyer lemon, and orange. I also enjoy plain lemon sauce. Roll the zested fruit on a countertop, pressing down on the fruit, to release the juice. Juice the citrus, straining out any seeds.
Measure juice. For lemon or lemon & lime, I use twice the amount of sugar to juice. For sweet orange juice, I use equal amounts of sugar and juice.
Place sugar, juice, and zest in a heavy bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir and cook until all of the sugar is dissolved. Stir occasionally, watching closely, until syrup comes to a boil that cannot be stirred down. For a thinner syrup, boil for 1-2 minutes. For a thicker syrup, boil for up to five minutes.
Allow to cool slightly, then pour through a fine mesh sieve into a clean pan. Reserve zest for extract. Reheat the syrup to a simmer, then jar up. Use clean jars and heat the lids in barely simmering water. Clean the rims of the jars before applying lids and rings.
Use for flavoring tea or water, over sherbet or desserts such as bread pudding.
Citrus Extract
Use zest from citrus syrup recipe. Place zest in a pint sized jar and fill with vodka. Shake every few days. When zest has gone pale, just about all the flavor has been extracted. Strain through a paper coffee filter. Use as is for lemon extract or make limoncello by cooking up simple syrup; 1:1 water to sugar, bring to a boil, then shut off. Allow syrup to come to room temperature, then add to limoncello to sweeten to your taste. Mellows and tastes even better after weeks to months of ageing. Serve well chilled.
Lemon and Ginger in Manuka Honey
This one is also good for flavoring tea, but is great for a sore throat, cough/cold, and the flu. Thinly slice lemons and fresh ginger, layering in a pint jar. Warm the honey gently and pour over the lemons and ginger to fill the jar. As the honey settles, top it off.
Store in the refrigerator. The honey will extract flavor from the lemons and ginger very quickly - just a couple of hours after putting mine together, it had amazing flavor.
For illness, take a teaspoon several times a day. It will help coat the throat to ease soreness. Manuka honey is famed for its germ fighting abilities. Lemon provides vitamin C, great for fighting colds, and ginger aids the body in ridding it of the toxins that are produced when viruses die off.
Four different ways I preserve citrus, mainly lemons. From left to right: Salt preserved lemons, Citrus Syrup, Citrus extract, Meyer lemons and fresh ginger in Manuka honey.
Salt-preserved Lemons
Thinly slice lemons, removing any seeds. Layer slices with canning salt in a pint sized jar. Store in refrigerator. Preserved lemons are a staple in North African cuisine. I made them because I was curious. I have used them for chicken dishes, adding a bright flavor.
Citrus Syrup
Using a zesting grater, remove zest without pith from your choice of citrus fruit. The pictured jar is a combination of lemon, Meyer lemon, and orange. I also enjoy plain lemon sauce. Roll the zested fruit on a countertop, pressing down on the fruit, to release the juice. Juice the citrus, straining out any seeds.
Measure juice. For lemon or lemon & lime, I use twice the amount of sugar to juice. For sweet orange juice, I use equal amounts of sugar and juice.
Place sugar, juice, and zest in a heavy bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir and cook until all of the sugar is dissolved. Stir occasionally, watching closely, until syrup comes to a boil that cannot be stirred down. For a thinner syrup, boil for 1-2 minutes. For a thicker syrup, boil for up to five minutes.
Allow to cool slightly, then pour through a fine mesh sieve into a clean pan. Reserve zest for extract. Reheat the syrup to a simmer, then jar up. Use clean jars and heat the lids in barely simmering water. Clean the rims of the jars before applying lids and rings.
Use for flavoring tea or water, over sherbet or desserts such as bread pudding.
Citrus Extract
Use zest from citrus syrup recipe. Place zest in a pint sized jar and fill with vodka. Shake every few days. When zest has gone pale, just about all the flavor has been extracted. Strain through a paper coffee filter. Use as is for lemon extract or make limoncello by cooking up simple syrup; 1:1 water to sugar, bring to a boil, then shut off. Allow syrup to come to room temperature, then add to limoncello to sweeten to your taste. Mellows and tastes even better after weeks to months of ageing. Serve well chilled.
Lemon and Ginger in Manuka Honey
This one is also good for flavoring tea, but is great for a sore throat, cough/cold, and the flu. Thinly slice lemons and fresh ginger, layering in a pint jar. Warm the honey gently and pour over the lemons and ginger to fill the jar. As the honey settles, top it off.
Store in the refrigerator. The honey will extract flavor from the lemons and ginger very quickly - just a couple of hours after putting mine together, it had amazing flavor.
For illness, take a teaspoon several times a day. It will help coat the throat to ease soreness. Manuka honey is famed for its germ fighting abilities. Lemon provides vitamin C, great for fighting colds, and ginger aids the body in ridding it of the toxins that are produced when viruses die off.