Recipe Preserved Lime

[The Late Night Gourmet]

It was only a matter of time (a lot of time, too) before I made preserved limes using this preserved lemon recipe. The result? Fantastic. I'm trying to not think of this as a game-changer, since I already use lime in so many things. But, I'm having a hard time. This has a more tart flavor than the preserved lemon, and I think it would go well in anything where you want lime to be presented (adjusting for the salt content).

https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1016212-preserved-lemons

Ingredients

• 15 limes
• Kosher salt
• 1 heaping teaspoon black peppercorns
• 2 bay leaves

Directions

1. Scrub 6-8 limes, enough to fit snugly in a medium jar with a tight-fitting lid (have 2 to 4 more ready on the side). Slice each lime from the top to within 1/2 inch of the bottom, almost cutting them into quarters but leaving them attached at one end. Rub kosher salt over the cut surfaces, then reshape the fruit. Cover the bottom of the jar with more kosher salt. Fit all the cut lemons in, breaking them apart if necessary. Sprinkle salt on each layer.
2. Press the limes down to release their juices. Add to the jar the peppercorns and bay leaves, then squeeze the additional limes into the jar until juice covers everything.
3. Close the jar and let ripen at cool room temperature, shaking the jar every day for 3 to 4 weeks, or until the rinds are tender to the bite. Then store it in the refrigerator.
4. To use, remove a piece of lemon and rinse it. (Add more fresh limes to the brine as you use them up.) The minced rind is added at the very end of cooking or used raw; the pulp can be added to a simmering pot.

 

[epicuric]

I think these would go really well in a hot beef chilli