Preserved Lemons

• Every winter when my grocer sells Meyer lemons, I get a half dozen or so and make a new batch of preserved lemons. Fermentation preserves the lemons, which will keep at least six to twelve months. I use the preserved lemons in entrées, side dishes and salads; see Cooking with Preserved Lemons below.
• Any variety of lemon will work, but Meyer lemons are favored because of their thin skins and fruity flavor.

Equipment

• Glass jars with lids. I prefer wide-mouth half-pint jars with plastic lids; over time, lemon juice and salt can corrode a metal lid. One jar can hold about 4 lemons.
• Optional: Wide-mouth glass pickling pebbles (1 per jar) keep the lemons submerged.

4 Meyer or conventional lemons
2 conventional lemons (for juicing)
1/3 cup kosher salt (or maybe a little more)

• Wash and dry all the lemons. Pop off the stem/blossom from each lemon.
• Quarter the 4 Meyer lemons. NOTE: Some cooks almost quarter the lemons leaving the four pieces joined at the base. This makes a pretty presentation, but quartering the lemons makes it easier to pack the jars. 
• Dredge the quarters generously in kosher salt. They should be heavily coated. Add more salt if the 1/3 cup is not enough.
• Pack the lemon quarters tightly into one or two glass jars. Press down to release juice.
• Optional: Add a glass pickling pebble to keep the lemons from floating.
• Juice the conventional lemons. Add the juice until the lemon quarters are completely covered. 
• Cover the jar with a plastic lid.
• Invert the jar to mix the salt...and then tip it back.
• Let stand at room temperature for seven days, inverting at least once a day.
• After a week, chill in fridge.
• The lemon juice will take on an oily texture.
• Preserved lemon will keep six to twelve months -- or longer. 

Note glass pebble to left.

Cooking with Preserved Lemon

• Except for the stem/blossom and seeds, all of the lemon is edible, however some do not like the pulp. Decide for yourself.
• The liquor and pulp can be added to salad dressing.
• The liquor and rind can be added to salads, side dishes, pasta and entrées for flavor or a garnish.
• Remove a lemon quarter. Rinse briefly to remove excess salt. Scrape away the pulp. If you like to use the pulp, return it to the jar. Chop the rind and add to your recipes.
• If minced rind is cooked into an entrée, the rind will cook away to nothing. The flavor will remain, but you may not see the rind.
• Because it's salty, it’s best to taste your food before adding salt to any recipe that uses preserved lemons. 
• Indian restaurants often serve spiced preserved lemons as a condiment.
• Here are more ideas!

Whole Grain Mustard

• This is my favorite mustard recipe. It's great as a condiment or in salad dressing or sauces. Like the other lacto-fermented recipes, it comes from The Heal Your Gut Cookbook and uses pickle juice or whey for the starter. Use pickle juice that is not made with vinegar.
• Bubbie’s Kosher Dill, my favorite pickle, is spicy. That means the pickle juice adds an extra kick to this mustard. The honey helps subdue the heat.
• The hardest part of this recipe was locating brown mustard seeds. Thanks to my older brother, I had a big supply . . . which I now need to replenish! Brown mustard seeds are hotter than yellow ones, so if you are worried about heat, you might try substituting yellow seeds for brown.

Day 1
¾ cup pickle juice or whey

¼ cup whole yellow mustard seeds
¼ cup whole brown mustard seeds
1 small shallot, minced
1 clove garlic, minced

Day 2
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon honey

• Mix together the pickle juice (or whey), mustard seeds, shallot and garlic.
• Let sit overnight.
• The next day, add the sea salt and honey. (The latter is optional). Blend in food processor until you reach a consistency you like.
• Transfer into a jar. Cap the jar.
• Leave at room temperature for 3 days, then move to the fridge.
• This mustard will keep for several months.

Yellow Mustard

• I was pleasantly surprised to learn how easy it is to make my own ketchup and mustard.
• This is another lacto-fermented recipe from The Heal Your Gut Cookbook using pickle juice or whey for the starter. Use pickle juice that is not made with vinegar.
• Bubbie’s Kosher Dill, my favorite fermented pickles, are spicy, so this mustard has almost too much kick but it works nicely in salad dressing and sauces.

¾ cup mustard powder

½ cup raw apple cider vinegar or coconut vinegar

2 tablespoons fermented pickle juice or whey

1 teaspoon sea salt

1½ tablespoons lemon juice

¼ teaspoon tumeric

½ teaspoon garlic powder

¼ teaspoon paprika

• Mix together all the ingredients in a bowl.
• Transfer into a jar. Cap the jar.
• Leave at room temperature for 3 days, then move to the fridge.
• This mustard will keep for several months.

Ketchup

•  I was never keen on ketchup, until I discovered this recipe in The Heal Your Gut Cookbook. 
• This is a lacto-fermented ketchup. That means it’s good for you. The fermentation comes from either pickle juice or whey.
• Fermented pickles are made without vinegar. My favorites are Bubbie’s Kosher Dill Pickles. They are on the spicy side, so that gives my ketchup an extra punch.
• I wonder if this ketchup counts as a vegetable?

12-14 ounces organic tomato paste

1/3 cup fermented pickle juice or whey

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

¼ teaspoon mustard powder

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1/8 teaspoon allspice

1/8 teaspoon cayenne

½ teaspoon sea salt

2-4 tablespoons honey

• Whisk together all the ingredients in a bowl.
• Transfer  the ketchup to a jar. Cap the jar.
• Leave at room temperature for 2 days, then move to the fridge.
• The ketchup will keep for several months.