Preserved Lemons
Preserved lemons are traditionally used in Moroccan dishes, and make an excellent condiment. You’ll love all the uses you’ll find for the rind, which becomes edible during the preservation process.
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT:
- 1 gallon vegetable fermenter or mason jar
INGREDIENTS:
- 10 lbs organic Meyer lemons
- Celtic Sea Salt or Real Salt
PROCESS:
- Rinse and scrub the lemons well so as to remove any potential residue adhering to the lemon rind.
- Slice the lemon as though you are going to quarter it, but leave all quarters connected on one end.
- Sprinkle a little bit of salt on the interior of the lemon, and place it in your jar.
- When you’ve made a layer of lemons, sprinkle a teaspoon or two of salt over the top of the layer.
- Use a wooden spoon and pound down the lemons until they release their juice.
- Continue cutting, salting, layering, salting and pounding down the lemons until your jar is full.
- Add another layer of salt and pound the lemons until the juice of the lemons covers the fruit. If more juice is needed, additional extra lemons can be juiced to add more juice to the jar.
- Cover the jar and shake to release any trapped air bubbles, then loosen the lid so that air can escape.
- Leave at room temperature for 1 day, then check to make sure the lemons are completely submerged in juice. Add juice if needed, then cover again loosely.
- Store at room temperature for six more days. Shake the jar at lease once per day.
- If ready, transfer to the refrigerator for storage. May be left for an additional week to allow for fermentation if necessary.
Source: Nourished Kitchen
Peach Chutney
When we think of lacto-fermentation, we often think of vegetables being fermented, but fruits are also a great choice and some very interesting combinations can be prepared this way. Here we use peaches, but feel free to use any of your favorite fruits or those that are in season. Pears, plums and apples are great choices too.
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT:
- 2 quart mason jar or vegetable fermenter
INGREDIENTS:
- 16 pears, cored and chopped coarsely
- 2 cups raisins
- 2 cups pecans, chopped
- 1 TB sea salt
- 1/4 cup whey or package of vegetable culture starter, or an additional 1 TB sea salt
- juice of 5 lemons
- 4 onions, finely chopped
- 4 TB grated fresh ginger
- 4 hot peppers, fresh or dried, chopped
PROCESS:
- Combine the chopped pears with the raisins, pecans, sea salt, lemon juice, onions, ginger and hot peppers together.
- Place the mixture little by little in your fermentation jar, pounding it vigorously to release the juices.
- Make sure the mixture fills the jar up to no more than 1 inch below the top (because of the expansion) and that the extracted water covers the mixture. If not, create a brine of filtered water with a few pinches of salt to cover the mixture.
- Press the vegetables and keep them under the brine by placing a plate or a lid on top weighted down by a boiled rock, plate, or a jug of water. Cover with a clean towel if needed to keep out fruit flies.
- Place the fermentation jar in a warm spot in your kitchen and allow the chutney to ferment for 2 to 4 days.
- Check on it from time to time to be sure that the brine covers the vegetables and to remove any mold that may form on the surface.
- A good way to know when it’s ready is to taste it during the fermentation process and move it to the refrigerator when you’re satisfied with the taste.
Source: Paleo Diet Lifestyle