I was googling recipes the other day, trying to find a use for the bucket of lemons that I had been given by my Ma and stumbled across 'the spice rack challenge'. Sounded like my kind of thing; I have a cabinet of herbs and spices, as well as the overflow in boxes and stray packets in the pantry.
Rosemary it said. Deadline the 21; being the 17 I thought this should be interesting. Don't get me wrong, I have a soft spot for rosemary... have a hedge of it at the backdoor, so procuring the herb wouldn't be a problem. I like scented plants and blue flowers, so it ticks both boxes, but I rarely bring any inside. Unless its for a leg of lamb. Just prefer to brush past it while walking down the path.
So, on with the lemon hunt, and found references to preserved lemons with rosemary. Eyes light up at that one; this I could do in a couple of days and need to do a jar of preserved lemons anyway.
I love preserved lemons with mince and yogurt on pizza, or with hummus, or in casseroles... Maybe you get the idea? Common enough item in this household, but I'd never played round with herbs and spices in them.
Here's my attempt:
Heat washed jar in oven.
Boil seal for jar in hot water for 5 min.
Wash and dry lemons (1 jar used 10 lemons, but this will vary heaps).
Quarter lemons and remove obvious seeds.
Heat lemons microwave until soft and cooked looking (about 4 mins in mine).
Remove jar from oven, and pack lemons in layers putting good amount of rock salt between each layer. Place sprigs of rosemary in and around lemons at each layer.
Keep filling until jar is well packed, add more salt and lemon juice until jar is overflowing.
Remove seal from hot water and place on top.
Screw on band.
Bottling, kiwi style, using the overflow method. Frowned upon it would seem in America, but I'm afraid its how I was taught, and how I bottle most of my fruit. Bottling = canning if a translation is needed.
