Preserved Lemons

Homemade preserved lemons make wonderful gifts, so we suggest that you check out the wide variety of useful & decorative glass storage jars available from Wares of Knutford.

Preserved Lemons
 
Author: 
Recipe type: Condiments
Ingredients
  • Lemons
  • Lemon Juicce
  • Kosher Salt
  • Colander
  • Deep pot with lids
  • Canning mat
  • Quart preserving jars
  • Dishtowels
  • Canning towels
  • Lids
  • Canning tongs
  • Rings
  • Platter
Instructions
  1. Wash your lemons thoroughly & set them in a colander in the sink to drain. You will need 8-10 lemons for each 1 quart canning jar that you use.
  2. Place your canning mat in the bottom of a deep pot. If you don’t have a canning mat, line the bottom of the pot with a clean cloth dishtowel. This will keep the jars from bumping against each other when you sterilize them.
  3. Stand the quart jars in the pot with their open ends facing up.
  4. Fill the pot with water so that the jars are completely covered. Bring the water to a boil. Lower it to a rolling simmer & cover the pot. Let the jars sterilize for 10 minutes without disturbing them.
  5. Lay a folded dishtowel on the counter. Remove the jars from the water with your canning tongs & place them on the towel, open side up. Never put hot jars directly onto a cool surface like a bare counter because they may shatter.
  6. Drop the lids and rings into the boiling water & turn off the heat.
  7. Slice both ends off of each lemon & cut the lemons into 4-6 wedges each.
  8. Lay the wedges out on a platter or a length of waxed paper & lightly salt them with the Kosher salt.
  9. Fill the bottom of the jars, once they have cooled enough to touch, with ½ c. Kosher salt.
  10. Fish the lids & rings out of the hot water with the canning tongs & set them on the dishtowel with the jars to cool.
  11. Squeeze each lemon wedge gently as you pack them snugly into the jars.
  12. Fill the jars with lemon juice so that the lemons are just covered. Sprinkle another layer of salt on top.
  13. Wipe any excess salt or lemon juice off of the mouths of the jars with a clean dishtowel. Seal the jars with the sterilized lids & rings.
  14. Let the jars sit at room temperature for 24 hours & then turn them upside down. Let them sit for another 24 hours, then turn them right-side up & place them in the refrigerator.
  15. Leave the jars in the refrigerator for three weeks, occasionally turning them upside down for a day or two.
  16. To use the lemons, pick one out & wash off all of the salt. Discard the seeds & pulp & grate or finely chop the lemon rind.
  17. Add visual interest as well as flavor by adding mint sprigs, rosemary, sage, thyme, peppercorns, whole cloves, whole coriander seeds, or cinnamon sticks to your preserved lemons when you pack them into the jars. Experiment by adding different combinations of herbs & spices.

Photo Courtesy of Daniella Segura

Summer Fruits Bread Pudding

A great summer recipe to satisfy your sweet tooth on a hot summer day!  The best way to ensure an absolutely perfect dessert is to use top of the line food prep machines.

Summer Fruits Bread Pudding
 
Author: 
Recipe type: Dessert
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Ingredients
  • 1 loaf unsliced bread
  • 2 c. strawberries
  • 2 c. blackberries
  • 2 c. plums
  • 2 c. blueberries
  • ½ tsp cinnamon
  • ¼ - ½ c. sugar
  • 2 tbsp orange, raspberry, or almond liqueur (optional)
Instructions
  1. Preheat your oven to its lowest setting, no higher than 200°F.
  2. Slice your bread thickly. You can use white bread, challah, cinnamon bread, Hawaiian bread, brioche or any bread other than aggressively savory types such as sourdough, rye or whole wheat.
  3. Lay your bread slices out on a baking sheet. You may need more than one baking sheet. Place the bread in the oven & let it sit for 20 minutes. Turn the slices over & let the bread sit for another 20 minutes. This dries out the bread, allowing it to soak up the fruit juices without becoming soggy. You can also lay the bread out on sheets & let it sit on the counter overnight to air dry.
  4. While the bread is drying, wash all of your fruit & drain it well.
  5. Pull the tops off the strawberries. Slice the strawberries thickly.
  6. Slice the plums & discard the pits.
  7. Place the strawberries, plums & blueberries into a large saucepan. Add the orange, raspberry or almond liqueur for a richer dessert, if you like. Gently stir in the sugar & cinnamon. Heat the mixture to a simmer & let it cook for 5 minutes.
  8. Stir in the raspberries & remove the fruit from the heat.
  9. Cut the crusts off the bread.
  10. Line your casserole dish with cling wrap, making sure that at least 2″ overhangs the edge. You may need to lay one sheet across the width & one across the length.
  11. Press half of the ‘crustless’ bread slices into the bottom of the casserole dish. Arrange them with the edges overlapping so that they make a complete crust.
  12. Use a slotted spoon to scoop the fruit out of its bowl & into the casserole dish on top of the bread. Keep the leftover juices, because you’ll use them later.
  13. Arrange the other half of the bread loaf on top of the fruit. Press it down firmly.
  14. Cover the bread completely with cling wrap. Place a plate that fits just inside of the casseroles dish on top of the cling wrap. Weight it down with two or three small cans of soup or a large can of tomatoes. Refrigerate the pudding for 8 hours or overnight.
  15. Take the pudding out of the refrigerator & remove the cans and cling wrap. Turn the pudding out onto a serving plate & remove the cling wrap. Pour the reserved juices over the pudding & sprinkle just enough sugar on top to lightly coat it.
  16. Cut the pudding into wedges & serve it with whipped cream & fresh mint for a garnish.

Photo Courtesy of Susanne Nilsson

Kerala Style Beef Stew

Once you’ve added the coconut milk, be sure not to boil it too long or else the milk may curdle. You can substitute yogurt or plain milk for the coconut milk for health reasons.  Thank you to Chacko’s Kitchen for submitting this recipe.

Kerala Style Beef Stew
 
Author: 
Recipe type: Soups
Cuisine: Indian
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Ingredients
  • 2 lbs beef
  • 1 carrot
  • 1 potato
  • 4 tomatoes
  • 1-1/2 c. shallots
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 2 c. coconut milk
  • 4-5 curry leaves
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • 2-1/2 tbsp cooking oil
  • 2-4 green chilies
  • 4 cloves
  • 1-1/2" cinnamon stick
  • 6 green cardamom
  • 1 star anise
  • salt to taste
Instructions
  1. Clean & cut the beef into 1″ cubes. Drain.
  2. Peel & finely slice the shallots.
  3. Finely slice the tomatoes & store separately.
  4. Peel, wash, & cut the potato & carrot into 1″ cubes.
  5. Heat 2 tbsp cooking oil in a non-stick pan. Add the Garam Masala ingredients (cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, & star anise) & saute for 1 minute.
  6. Add shallots (reserving about 1 tbsp) & saute until translucent, taking about 5 minutes.
  7. Add the drained, cubed beef, potato, & carrot along with the turmeric, salt, & pepper. Saute until all sides are seared & lightly caramelized and browned.
  8. Add the tomatoes, green chilies, & ½ the coconut milk. Transfer to a pressure cooker & cook on high heat until 1 whistle, reducing to a medium flame. Continue to cook for 20 minutes & then 10 more minutes on low flame.
  9. In a separate non-stick pan, heat the remaining oil & saute the reserved shallots & curry leaves. Add the remainder of the coconut milk & bring to a boil on medium heat. Remove from heat.

 

Gary’s Pumpkin Gingerbread Trifle

An optional serving method would be to place the layers in a punch bowl.

Gary's Pumpkin Gingerbread Trifle
 
Author: 
Recipe type: Dessert
Ingredients
  • 14 oz. Gingerbread mix
  • 1 pkg. Cook & Serve Vanilla Pudding Mix
  • 30 oz. Pumpkin Pie filling
  • ½ c. brown sugar
  • ⅓ tsp. cinnamon, ground
  • ½ c. Ginger snaps, crushed
  • 12 oz. whipped cream
Instructions
  1. Bake the two gingerbread mixes according to the directions on the package.
  2. Prepare the pudding according to the package directions & set aside to cool. When fully cooled stir in the pumpkin pie filling, brown sugar, & cinnamon into the pudding.
  3. Pour ½ of the pudding mixture over one gingerbread & add a layer of whipped topping. Repeat with the remaining gingerbread & pudding mixture with the whipped cream.
  4. Sprinkle the top with crushed ginger snaps if desired & refrigerate overnight.

Photo courtesy of Gingerbread Couple by sweetopia*.

Easy Monkey Bread

Kitty Says: Do not cut the bread! It’ll pull apart easily.

Easy Monkey Bread
 
Author: 
Recipe type: Dessert
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Ingredients
  • 3- 12 oz. pkgs biscuit dough, refrigerated
  • 1 c. granulated sugar
  • 2 tsp cinnamon, ground
  • ½ c. margarine
  • 1 c. brown sugar, tightly packed
  • ½ c. raisins
  • ½ c. walnuts, chopped (optional)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a bunt or tube pan.
  2. Mix sugar & cinnamon in a large resealable plastic bag. Cut biscuits into quarters. Shake 6-8 biscuit pieces in the mixture. Arrange the pieces in the bottom of the pan.
  3. Sprinkle each layer with raisins & optional nuts. Continue the process until all biscuit pieces are coated & placed in the pan.
  4. In a small pot, over medium heat, melt the margarine with the brown sugar. Boil for 1 minute. Pour over biscuits.
  5. Bake for 35 minutes. Remove from oven & let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Turn out onto serving dish/platter.

Photo courtesy of Betty Crocker Recipes on Flickr.