“Lemon (Limbiyo/ Nimboo/ Nimbe Hannu) half squeezed in brine (salt water preserved)/ Mitta ghallele ardHa pillele limbiyo” … avoid wastage of fresh lemons when you use them to season salads or prepare sherbhat/ nimboo paani or even add in a dash to other dishes ... all you need to do is do not squeeze them fully but leave out some juice in them and then brine them and it can be used after it matures into pickle or kanchi (a salted pickle extensively used by Konkani's) ...
** I have always hated any type of food wastage and covid 19 has taught us all not only to be self reliant but to be food wise too … added to it was the burden of adjusting without fridge for almost 3 months … tough times don't last but always teaches us a lot ... I had to forgo my favorite morning chilled juices for the very same reason as we definitely need to avoid catching on cold which may turn worst or may be mislead to think as the current virus.
** Lemons being high in Vitamin C were suggested by Doctors to be consumed so as to combat catching of cold etc. well just a precaution sort, so the only reliable juice that I could have through all these almost six months is freshly prepared lemon juice. So, I began to buy them in bulk as we needed to have at least 1-2 a day which meant I would end up with lots of lemon skins by weekend and every day when I chucked them off I literally cringed.
** I had heard a lot about using the lemon skins in different ways like sun drying them and using them as powder. They are even sliced and used in baking etc. but all these were not for me as I hardly prepare them, but I do brine (salt water preserve) about 50 lemons and store them which lasts for years without being spoilt which in konkani we call as kanchi eaten with rice porridge. So, I just though why not prepare the same instead of wasting them every day.
** But, for kanchi you need to have the lemon juice intact within it so if I squeezed out all of the juice I was certain that the kanchi would not remain good for long period and my efforts would go down the drain. Well, I just thought why not squeeze them halfway through ie just squeeze each lemon only 50% and retain the remaining juice in it so that it could be brined adding on a little bit excess lemon. Again, I also though of adding a few lemon juice also for better shelf life.
** I prepare Salt water in proportion of 1:2 one part salt, 2 parts of water, boiled it cooled it and put it in a sterilized glassware bottle and kept on adding the half squeezed lemon daily after using them and further cutting them into 4 pieces. In two months time I had a large bottle full of lemons to which I had already added fresh lemon juice too. I just kept on mixing them everyday well with a clean dry spoon so that they would mix up evenly.
** Once the bottle was full and there was enough salt water layer on top I sealed it with a plastic sheet to which I always apply a thin film of coconut oil inward and cover tightly with lid. The bottle in the picture is now 2 months old and has matured. This can either be stored as it is and then served as kanchi with steaming hot rice porridge/ kanji/ Ganji/ peja or some of it can be prepared into pickle by adding on masala,
** Both preparation method of kanchi and lemon pickle have been posted before in the blog, to which I will share links below, you may choose to go through the same for more details of the same. I will be preparing pickle soon out of these lemons as I too am very enthusiastic to know how it will turn out, so I will definitely be sharing the same with all of you soon. Looks like I need more ideas on using of these lemons as I have almost three bottles by now.
** But then there is not need of worrying as the brined lemon/ kanchi never ever gets spoilt even if it is decades old, so I need not prepare now for a few years. As I said, tough times never last, its sort of phase that we all pass through, yes sadly for some it is disaster and my heart does go out to those families who lost out for no fault of theirs. God rest them in peace and give strength to those left behind. This will pass too, have faith and hold on tight.
** Take good care of yourself, your surroundings, your work place and above all of your family. Do not take things lightly, see to it that you were a mask and wash your hands often. Carry your own sanitizer with you and avoid touching those that are kept in stores, use it when you fear you have touched something and do not panic but be extra careful, specially with young children as they do not understand the situation unlike elders, they need love and care.
** Coming to the lemon, the next time you think of throwing it off, think twice, you are chucking off your hard earned money that can be saved and turned into something equally nutritious and worthwhile. Go ahead and brine-n-preserve them in kanchi form, that lasts for years … It is sort of Best out of otherwise waste food stuff, When I come across or try more things that can be prepared I will blog it and not keep it a secret, so till then try this out.
** Sharing links below to preparation of Kanchi with whole lemons and to pickle with addition of masala .....
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Thanks.