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Pickled Lemons

Source of Recipe


From "Citrus: A Cookbook" by Ford Rogers






List of Ingredients



• 10 to 12 lemons
  
• 6 cloves garlic, crushed
  
• 6 slices fresh gingerroot, peeled, about 1/8-inch thick
  
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
  
• 2 tsp cumin seeds
  
• 2 Tbsp yellow mustard seeds
  
• 1 to 2 tsp dried red pepper flakes, to taste
  
• 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
  
• 1 tsp fenugreek seeds
  
• 4 cups distilled white vinegar
  
• 3 Tbsp salt
  






Instructions



1. Wash the lemons well with a scrub brush, using warm, soapy water. Rinse thoroughly. Quarter them and place them, interspersed with the garlic cloves and ginger slices, in a 1/2-gallon wide-mouthed jar or pickle crock, leaving 1 to 2 inches of space at the top of the jar.
   
   
2. Heat a nonreactive skillet over medium-low heat and add the turmeric, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, dried red pepper flakes, fennel seeds and fenugreek seeds. Heat the mixture carefully, shaking the pan frequently, until you begin to smell the spices and they begin to smoke. Remove them from the heat and add 1 cup of vinegar to the pan. Mix thoroughly and carefully pour the vinegar and spices over the lemons in the jar. Add the salt and enough additional vinegar to cover the lemons.
   
   
3. Seal the jar, shake it and roll it around the mix the ingredients. Let it sit in a cool, dark place for 3 weeks, shaking the jar and rolling it around 2 or 3 times a week.
   
   When 2 or 3 weeks have passed, chill the lemons. They will keep in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 months. Serve as a pickle, or chop and use as a relish with curries, meats or greens.