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.
I have to say I am impressed I have rosemary and mint all over my front yard and I do love use it plus I have a lemon tree. I will have to watch and see how your lemons came out. I also stumbled on the challenge and would love to be a part of it. I am going to look up overflow method I have never heard that term before. By the way thank you for commenting on my blog you made my day, smile.....
ReplyDeleteAnother great idea...I just made preserved lemons two nights ago. Wondering if I could pry the lids open and add some rosemary. I guess I will just have to wait until next time.
ReplyDeleteI was thinking the same thing as Nicole- I just made preserved lemons a few nights ago and think rosemary might have been a great addition.
ReplyDeleteWhat is the 'overflow method'?
Why can it at all? The salt in this is a preserving agent and the lemon itself is acidic- nothing pathogenic is going to affect them. I do a jar of these every few years ( although I've never thought to add rosemary before!) and mine sit at room temp until we finish eating them. The current jar is over a year old now and the lemons are rather brown but so lovely and soft and perfumey and that's a good thing!
ReplyDeleteI'm curious about the overflow method tho!
Ok, so the overflow method. Here in NZ we don't have pressure canners. I've looked at bringing one over from the States, but the exchange rate of means that I triple the price. And then pay freight. I just can't afford that.
ReplyDeleteMeans I have four methods available to bottle with: oven/microwave, overflow/open pan, hot water bath or with a pressure cooker.
All that I have read ways that your canners are not pressure cookers, correct me if I'm wrong here? Don't own one anyway, so thats out.
My preserving pan doesn't quite cover the tops of my large jars, but I can use the hot water bath with the smaller ones. This is the method I use with tomatoes, being low in acid.
There are major concerns about using the oven- slow dry heat may not kill bugs apparently. Even my books say this; and they are listing all four methods :)
So, overflow it is. Basically the fruit is cooked seperately, and then packed into hot jars with syrup. You fill the jar to the top, and overflow it, slap on the seal and band and rely on the cooling to form a vacuum.
Not safe according to your USDA, though.
Certainly not to be used with low acid foods, and it means I'm basically restricted to fruit.
The rest? It's what the freezer is for lol
I made a jar of preserved lemons today. My lemon tree had five lemons on it and I had salt and a nice jar so I am attempting my first jar of preserved lemons, smile.... Thank you for inspiring me and sharing.
ReplyDeleteI made preserved lemons once and never had the chance to try them and had to leave them behind in a move. I really should try to make them again and this time use it
ReplyDeleteYou must share your use's for preserved lemons I can't wait for mine!!!
ReplyDeletei love the addition of rosemary into the preserved lemon. i'm not that into the additions of cloves and cinnamon that are often found in preserved lemon recipes, but rosemary? that could work for me! i also made a big jar of preserved lemons once and kinda could never figure out what to do with them, then they sat too long and had to be composted. next time, a smaller jar and the addition of rosemary. great post!
ReplyDeleteThis is so very lovely and I apologize for being dense, but how would you use these bottled lemons? I love the "fermentation" process with the salt and I adore rosemary, but I'm stumped on how to use this.
ReplyDelete