A couple of weeks ago, I picked up a box of Tahitian limes at the markets – at $7 for nearly 60 limes, they were just too much of a bargain to pass up!
They were in great condition too – green and unblemished. Of course, I promptly forgot all about them, so by the time I opened the box a week later they were looking a little sad – softer and yellower, and in need of using up in a hurry. That wasn’t a bad thing, as they were also riper and juicier, and better suited to pickling.
I’ve turned them into two large jars of lime preserves – on the left are traditional Moroccan style preserved limes, made by salting the quartered fruit and squishing them into a sterile jar with a few bay leaves, cinnamon sticks and cloves. On the right is a sweet lime pickle, spiced with brown sugar, turmeric and salt. Both recipes are from Stephanie Alexander’s cookbook, and I haven’t tried either before. I’ll let you know how they go!
Edit: As a couple of people have asked for this, here is the preserved lemons recipe I used. It comes from The Cook’s Companion by Stephanie Alexander.
- 250g coarse kitchen salt (I used sea salt)
- 10 lemons, scrubbed and quartered (I used 18 limes)
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 – 3 cloves
- 1 stick cinnamon
- extra lemon (lime) juice
1. Scatter a spoonful of salt into a 1 litre sterilised jar. Tip the lemons into a large plastic tub with remaining salt and mix well, massaging the fruit vigorously.
2. Pack the fruit curved-side out into the jar, adding bits of bay leaf, clovers and pieces of cinnamon as you go.
3. Press down hard on the fruit to extract as much juice as possible, then scrape in any leftover salt from the tub. Cover with extra lemon juice if required. (Stephanie points out that a wedge of lemon left exposed might develop a white mould, which she says is harmless. That was enough to make me squeeze extra limes to ensure there was enough juice to cover it all!)
4. Wipe the rim and neck of the jar with a clean cloth dipped in boiling water and seal with an acid proof lid. Let the lemons mature for at least 1 month in a cool place (not the fridge) before using.
Note: I haven’t tried this particular recipe before, but preserved lemons I’ve made in the past have occasionally fizzed a little during the first week. Apparently that can happen as part of the preserving process – just loosen the lid occasionally to let the gas out.
Update: Here’s how they turned out!
Fig Jam and Lime Cordial 