Pucker Up Preserved Lemons Food

PRESERVED LEMONS

Steps:

• Combine salt and sugar in a medium bowl. Cut lemons into quarters lengthwise. Pack alternating layers of salt mixture and lemons into a 1-qt. glass jar or nonreactive container. Cover and chill at least 1 month and up to 1 year, shaking every day for the first 2 weeks to redistribute curing mixture and the brine that will form.

GINA'S PUCKER-UP LEMON LIMEADE

Steps:

• In a large pitcher combine all the ingredients and mix until the sugar has dissolved. Pour into tall glasses and garnish with a slice of lemon and a slice of lime.

PRESERVED LEMONS RECIPE

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Cut off and discard the stem ends of the lemons.
• Cut each lemon into quarters lengthwise, but not all the way through. Leave enough rind at the end to hold the fruit together, about 1/2 inch. If you do go too far and a lemon falls into quarters, don't worry. It's still completely usable; it just won't look as pretty sitting in the jar.
• Over a large bowl to catch the juice, use your thumb to carefully squeeze out the juice from each lemon quarter. Go ahead and really smash the lemon to get all the juice out.
• Over the same large bowl into which you've squeezed the lemon juice, sprinkle the inside of each juiced lemon with kosher salt (about 1 tablespoon per lemon), working as much of the salt as possible into the lemon flesh as you go, packing the crevices with lots of salt.
• Close the lemons, and place them in a quart-size sterilized glass jar with a tight-fitting lid. Make sure the lemons are packed in tightly so that they can't move freely. Compress the lemons as you add them to the jar, squeezing them in to release more juices.
• Pour the salty juice you collected in the bowl over the jarred lemons. Add more lemon juice, if necessary, to cover the lemons completely. Then add a generous sprinkling of salt (about 1 teaspoon).
• Seal and set the jar on the kitchen counter or other cool, dark spot for 7 days, shaking and turning daily.
• After two or three days, open the jar and compress the lemons to release more juices. If you have room to add another lemon, do so. The idea here is that tightly packed lemons won't be able to rise to the surface. Do this for the first week until the jar is packed as full as possible and the lemons stay completely submerged in juice.
• Transfer the sealed jar to the refrigerator and leave undisturbed. The lemons will be preserved and ready to use once the rinds are very soft, in about five weeks. You can continue to preserve them longer if you like, up to a year or more.

JOANNE FLUKE'S PUCKER UP LEMON CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Spray a 9 x 13" cake pan with non-stick spray and set aside.
• Wash the outside of your lemon and pat dry. Cut in half and juice the lemon, reserving the liquid to use later. Pick out the seeds and cut each half into four pieces.
• Put these 8 pieces along with the raisins and the pecans into a food processor and pulse until very finely chopped. That's right, you're using the entire lemon in this cake. Set this mixture aside.
• In your electric mixer bowl, add one cup of flour, the salt, baking soda, and sugar. Mix them on LOW for about 30 seconds.
• Add the second cup of flour and mix on LOW for about 30 seconds.
• Add the softened butter, the lemon extract and 3/4 cup of milk. Beat on LOW until the flour is well moistened. Then turn the mixer up to MEDIUM-HIGH and beat for 2 minutes.
• Shut off the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl.
• Turn the mixer on LOW and add the eggs, one at a time, beating continuously. Now add the last of the milk.
• Once everything is incorporated, turn the mixer up to MEDIUM-HIGH and beat for 2 minutes. Turn off the mixer, remove the bowl and scrape down the sides.
• Gradually add the ground lemon, raisin and pecan mixture, folding it in gently so you don't deflate all that lovely air you just beat into the mixture.
• Pour into your prepared pan and smooth out as evenly as possible. This batter is a bit stiff.
• Bake for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove to a wire rack.
• While the cake is still warm, drizzle 1/3 cup of the fresh lemon juice over the surface of the cake. It will instantly be absorbed.
• In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup white sugar and 1 tsp ground cinnamon until well mixed. Sprinkle this cinnamon/sugar mixture over the still warm cake.
• Optional: Sprinkle 1/4 cup finely chopped pecans on top of the cinnamon/sugar mixture.
• Let your cake cool to room temperature, cover with plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator. This will keep your cake nice and moist.
• You can serve the cake right out of the fridge or let it come to room temperature.
• It also freezes well if you wrap it in plastic wrap, then foil, and place the whole thing in a sealable freezer bag.

PUCKER-UP LEMON CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat over to 350°F.
• Grease 13x9-inch baking pan.
• In large bowl mix cake mix, gelatin, water, eggs and oil.
• Beat on low speed of mixer until combined.
• Beat on high 2 minutes until smooth.
• Pour into prepared pan.
• Bake 35-40 minutes until toothpick inserted comes clean.
• Cool on wire rack.
• Stir together powdered sugar and lemon juice, adding more water if needed to make a thinner glaze for drizzling.
• Spoon glaze over hot cake.
• Let stand until cool or serve slightly warm.

PRESERVED LEMONS

Steps:

• Toss the lemon slices in kosher salt to coat, and place them into a sterile 2 quart glass jar. Pour in the lemon juice, cover tightly, and let stand on the counter for 1 week. Turn the jar over daily. At the end of the week, top the jar off with enough olive oil to cover the lemons. This will keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 months.
• To use, pull the lemon pulp from the peel, and scrape out the pith to leave only the yellow rind. Julienne, and add to your favorite dish for a lemony zing.