To Pickle Lemons, and Limes

Modern cookery for private families · Acton, Eliza · 1845
Source
Modern cookery for private families
Status
success · extracted 13 days ago
Not a recipe
No
Ingredients (12)
For the lemons
For the pickling liquid
For the limes
Instructions (25)
  1. Wipe eight fine sound lemons very clean.
  2. Make, at equal distances, four deep incisions in each lemon, from the stalk to the blossom end, but without dividing the fruit.
  3. Stuff the lemons with as much salt as they will contain.
  4. Lay the stuffed lemons into a deep dish.
  5. Place the dish in a sunny window, or in some warm place for a week or ten days.
  6. Keep the lemons often turned and basted with their own liquor during this time.
  7. Rub the lemons with some good pale turmeric.
  8. Put the lemons with their juice into a stone jar.
  9. Add to the jar a small head of garlic, divided into cloves and peeled, and a dozen small onions stuck with twice as many cloves.
  10. Boil two quarts of white wine vinegar with half a pound of ginger slightly bruised, two ounces of whole black pepper, and half a pound of mustard-seed.
  11. Take the vinegar mixture from the fire and pour it directly on the lemons in the jar.
  12. Cover the jar with a plate.
  13. Let the lemons remain until the following day.
  14. Add to the pickle half a dozen capsicums (or a few chilies, if more convenient).
  15. Tie a skin and a fold of thick paper over the jar.
For Limes
  1. Make but slight incisions in the rinds of limes.
  2. Two ounces of salt only will be required for half a dozen limes.
  3. Put the salt and the limes' juice into the jar with them before the vinegar is poured on.
  4. Mix the vinegar with spice and mustard-seed, and be boiling when it is added to the limes.
  5. The limes will be sufficiently softened in four or five days.
Notes
  1. The turmeric and garlic may be omitted from this pickle with advantage.
  2. The pickle will remain good for seven years if the lemons be kept well covered with vinegar.
  3. The vinegar that is added to them should be boiled and then left till cold before it is poured into the jar.
  4. They will not be fit for table in less than twelve months.
  5. If wanted for more immediate use, set them for one night into a very cool oven; they may then be eaten almost directly.
Original Text
TO PICKLE LEMONS, AND LIMES. (Excellent.) Wipe eight fine sound lemons very clean, and make, at equal distances, four deep incisions in each, from the stalk to the blossom end, but without dividing the fruit; stuff them with as much salt as they will contain, lay them into a deep dish, and place them in a sunny window, or in some warm place for a week or ten days, keeping them often turned and basted with their own liquor; then rub them with some good pale turmeric, and put them with their juice, into a stone jar with a small head of garlic, divided into cloves and peeled, and a dozen small onions stuck with twice as many cloves. Boil in two quarts of white wine vinegar, half a pound of ginger slightly bruised, two ounces of whole black pepper, and half a pound of mustard-seed; take them from the fire and pour them directly on the lemons; cover the jar with a plate, and let them remain until the following day, then add to the pickle half a dozen capsicums (or a few chilies, if more convenient), and tie a skin and a fold of thick paper over the jar. Large lemons stuffed with salt, 8: 8 to 10 days. Turmeric, 1 to 2 oz.; ginger, 1/2 lb.; mustard-seed, 1/2 lb.; capsicums, 6 oz. Obs.—The turmeric and garlic may, we think, be omitted from this pickle with advantage. It will remain good for seven years if the lemons be kept well covered with vinegar: that which is added to them should be boiled and then left till cold before it is poured into the jar. They will not be fit for table in less than twelve months; but if wanted for more immediate use, set them for one night into a very cool oven: they may then be eaten almost directly. Limes must have but slight incisions made in the rinds; and they will be sufficiently softened in four or five days. Two ounces of salt only will be required for half a dozen; and all which remains unmelted must, with their juice, be put into the jar with them before the vinegar is poured on: this should be mixed with spice and mustard-seed, and be boiling when it is added to the limes.
Notes
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