Pickling Budhas Hand Limes help

[attie]

Also known as 5 Fingered Limes. which I'm about to pick.
Here's a recipe that I have but to the untrained eye, like mine, I'm thinking there would be a more simpler way of doing it or is this the way it should be done. All suggestions welcome
Thanks
Wayne

Cut a couple of slits down the lime fingers but leave the base intact so you can open it out like a flower.
Stuff two tablespoons of salt per lime into the flesh and skin. Place in a jar without liquid and leave for a couple of days. Then fill the jar with lemon juice, put something heavy to sink the limed down.
Add bayleaf, coriander, black pepper, cinnamon stick and a touch of olive oil on top. Leave for one month.
Then display it and use as you would preserved lemon.

 

[mcnerd]

Everything except adding the olive oil and leaving at room temperature for a month. That makes me nervous. Anything with oil at room temperature become a suspect for bacteria, mold, etc. even with all that lemon juice. I would find a recipe more modern.

 

[attie]

Thanks mcnerd, it did sound strange to me

 

[mcnerd]

I learned about finger limes today and now I'm jealous that my store doesn't have them.

 

[Michael in FtW]

Humm ... interesting idea. It appears that the oil is being used for a couple of reasons ... to slow down evaporation of the lemon juice and to block oxygen to prevent the growth of mold - and it would also serve as a "self healing" surface in case any gasses were produced (the gas would bubble up through the oil but the oil would immediately recover and fill in the space where the gas bubble passed through). You would want to be sure and use enough oil to insure a good layer over the top.

I don't have any idea about it's safety ... I would think any modern day recipe for preserved lemons would work just as well.

 

[attie]

I learned about finger limes today and now I'm jealous that my store doesn't have them.

Here you go mcnerd Ordering Four Winds Growers Citrus Trees Online (Mail Order) FAQs they are also grown commercially in your State so you should be able to track them down. I have sent an email off to a friend who owns a cooking school in Singapore so will post anything that she comes back with. I'm thinking that because their flavour and fragrance is very intense but they are not bitter like other Limes, making Mamarlade might be worth a thought.
Thanks for your thoughts as well Michael