yud's creative pastry

Mazal Yivgi's Pickled Lemon

Years ago, they asked me what my favorite raw materials were and without hesitation I replied Almonds and lemons. Lemon in every shape and form. One of my favorites is the pickled lemon. Although its preparation is quite simple, not everyone knows how to make it as tasty as Mazal Yivgi, the mother-in-law of my brother Meir and my sister Aya. Pickled lemon is a great addition many dishes and salads and even on a slice of bread. But I love it best with nothing straight from the jar.

General:

Lemons - Lemons with a thick peel will be suitable.
Tools - Fermentation is created within the jar that produces gas and therefore it is important to use well sealed glass jars.
Sterilization - It is very important to sterilize the jars before use to prevent the appearance of bacteria. Fill the jar with boiling water and leave for 10-15 minutes. Drain and dry. The caps should also be sterilized as well.
Time - The lemon softens, its color becomes dull and they are then ready to eat. Time varies by season from 1 to 5 days.
Quantity - I used 7 medium lemons (100-120 gr each) to fill a 1 litre jar.

Materials:

medium lemons with a thick peel

Coarse salt

preparation:

Wash lemons well and remove any stain, even small.
Cut the lemon lengthwise and slice each half into slices no more than 4 millimeters wide. Remove seeds.
Place a layer of lemon slices in the jar and sprinkle with coarse salt (careful with the salt - use less than 1/4 tsp).
Place over another layer of lemon slices and sprinkle again coarse salt.
Repeat the laying of the lemon slices and the salt until the jar is filled to capacity and the lid is closed with pressure.
Place on the counter. the liquid created inside the jar shows already on the same day and will be done within 1-5 days.

Variations:

Mix the coarse salt with some sweet or hot paprika - optional.
Alternatively, stir fry the prepared lemons in olive oil with garlic and paprika and return it back to the jar.