Title: Pickled Lemons
Categories: African Egyptian Pickle Fruit
Yield: 1 Servings

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"Scrub lemons well and slice them. Sprinkle the slices generously with salt and leave for at least 24 hours on a large plate set at an angle or in a collander. They will become soft and limp, and lose their bitterness. Arrange the slices in layers in a glass jar, sprinkling a little paprika between each layer." (Note, as paprika is late-period at best, you might want to experiment with other spices - coriander, cinnamon, etc.) "Cover with corn or nut oil. Sometimes olive oil is used, but its taste is rather strong and may slightly overpower the lemons. Close the jar tightly. After about 3 weeks, the lemons will be ready to eat - soft, yellow, and a beautiful orange color."

I've also heard a version where the lemons were first boiled (whole, not wedged) before being packed in salt. That recipe also called for using some "fake saffron" (safflower).

Pickled lemons are quite interesting when used on a sandwich as one would a "regular" pickle, adding a bite to almost any kind of meat sandwich. The Egyptians use it to spice up a "bisterma" (middle-eastern cousin of "pastrami", but more garlicy) sandwich.

from Claudia Roden's "A Book of Middle Eastern Food" From: jkrissw@aol.com

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