Preserving Lemons

Our citrus are very abundant in the early Winter. They sometimes give us more in some years and sometimes less. But that's ok. We always get something. 

I picked these the other day. We eat the mandarins, or swap them or give them away. We use lots of lemons. My son squeezes them and puts some juice in  water with ice. I juice them and make cordial, though I am not a huge fan of feeding the kids sugar. I use minimal when I make it.

We use them for cooking....baked chicken with lemon, garlic and thyme is delicious. 

However, preserving is also on the list these days too. It is so easy to do. 

Gather your equipment. Jars, lemons and sea salt...no added anticaking agent.

Slice the lemons in a cross from the top . Don't cut all the way down because you will squash as much salt as you can into the cuts. Clise it back up trying to keep the salt in the lemons and then literally shove it in the jars.

Don't forget to to sterilize your jars...10 minutes in boiling water.

I got 2.5 in each of these. I juiced extra lemons and made sure the lemons were covered. I threw in a bit more salt and tbere you have it. Preserved lemons.

To use them you just use the skin generally. You wash the salt off and use them as you would lemons. I have used them in cus cus and rice. Generally they go with Mediterranean or Moroccan flavours. Yoy can add herbs to them. Bay leaf , garlic and rosemary taste great with them.
I would say they last about 6 months or less.
Let me know if you give these a try.
Until next time
Lots of it
Mandy
XXX

Orange, Almond and Honey Cake

I love the fact that we grow some of our own food. We have had fruit trees for many years. Some don’t produce as yet, probably because we don’t do enough t them to help them grow, but some, like our citrus, are wonderful at giving us fruit during winter.

Our mandarin tree grows so many fruits that I am able to share them with many people, and our orange tree is going great at the moment too. The fruits aren’t huge, but they are tasty. I picked 5 the other day and decided to make an orange, almond and honey cake.

I am  one of those people that if they get an idea for a recipe in my head, I google and look at MANY different recipes, and then see what I have in the  cupboard and whip up said food using what I have. Some recipes I follow to a T but others I make up….some ones they work and sometimes they don’t. 

The most  important thing you need to realise is that you need to boil the oranges for two hours making sure it stays covered with water so a top up very now and then is needed. When done let them cool. I did mine a da before I use them and left them in the fridge. I then cut them in half to get the seeds out.

INGREDIENTS

3 smallish boiled oranges (processed to mush in the food processor)

2.5 cups of almond meal

6 whole free range eggs

Between half to one cup of raw honey(I’m not huge on measuring)

1.5 teaspoons of baking powder(no aluminium added stuff)

Slivered almonds

Two tablespoons water

Dollop of honey (at least two tablespoons worth)

METHOD

Pre heat oven to 180°C

I used a little hand held blender to mix up the honey and the eggs.

I then folded in the oranges and then folded in the almond meal and the baking powder.

I then lined one regular sized square tin with baking paper and popped the mix into 

the tin then into the oven. 

I cooked it for 35 minutes and took it out I left it in the tin for 10 minutes to cool.

I mixed the extra honey and water together popped it in the microwave for 30 seconds and then poured it over the top.

I sprinkle the slivered almonds over the top and took out of the pan and popped it onto a cooler, still with the baking paper underneath. 

We ate it with a little yoghurt on top. It made 16 really decent  sized pieces of cake.

YUM!

I think the next time I make it I will add poppy seeds.

Until the next time

Lots of it

Mandy

XXX

Vegie Garden Before and After

I have been gone for a while. Trying different blogs, however I feel this one is the way to go. It's me. It's my history.

I have been busy, lots of life happening.

Today though, is about my Vegie patch.

Our family has changed their way of thinking as far as food and the environment goes. And, of course, the health and state of the food we eat. So, a Vegie patch was started. It says been going for a couple of years. Constantly changing it to make it the best it can be.

We have 6 raised beds, a row of citrus, and fruit trees out the front.

Since it's winter, there isn't overly much happening in it, however the greens are growing ok and the garlic is powering. Mind you, garlic takes 9 months. 😱

I digress.

Yesterday, I decided to pull out the fennel, the spinach plant and he curry plant, which was overgrown by MINT.

Let me tell you.....mint overtakes everything. The roots were insane. It took about two hours, with help from Raymond, to get the garden looking how it does now....with marigolds, lettuce, onions and radish seeds planted.

                                                                         BEFORE

AFTER

We added 7 bags of compost, one bag of cow manure and two bags of soil enhancer.

Here's hoping the seeds germinate in this cold weather.

 Got my lovely bundle of seeds from Eden Seeds. I can use them to save seeds as well which is an added bonus. I bought enough seeds to last the next couple of years.

Forgive the dodgy images, and the  lacklustre font....I am trying to navigate blogger on my iPad...not very compatible at all.

If you have any questions about my latest plantings you can leave me a comment, or email me via my "contact me" .

Until next time

Lots of it

Mandy

XXX