Yeah, well. Three good ones, and we tried one - while it had some
ripe-looking seeds, I am sure that it wasn't even remotely ripe.

The fruit are pear-shaped with creamy, white color skin that is
striped in faint green.

Check.

The flesh is light colored, fine grained, very dry and resembles
sweet potatoes in flavor.

No way, Jose. It had the texture and flavour of unripe Little Gem.
Moist, not nutty, and low in both starch and sugar.

Clearly we don't get enough sun here :-(

However, it tasted of SOMETHING, unlike marrows.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

"Nick Maclaren" wrote
((huge snip))
However, it tasted of SOMETHING, unlike marrows.

First store for some weeks, even three months.
Then peel, slice and cube the flesh into 2 inch cubes discarding the seeds.
Saute in butter with plenty of black pepper untill the cubes are cooked and
start to brown.
You will find they do have a flavour. :-)

--
Regards
Bob
In Runnymede, 17 miles West of London

Janet Baraclough wrote:
The message
from "Bob Hobden" contains these words:


"Nick Maclaren" wrote
((huge snip))
However, it tasted of SOMETHING, unlike marrows.

First store for some weeks, even three months.
Then peel, slice and cube the flesh into 2 inch cubes discarding
the
seeds. Saute in butter with plenty of black pepper untill the
cubes
are cooked and start to brown.
You will find they do have a flavour. :-)

Bear in mind, the Maclaren tastebuds snack on whole raw lemons
:~*

A good kitchen tip he use a larding needle to insert whole
chillies. Four per lemon is usually enough.

--
Mike.

"Mike Lyle" wrote in message
...
Janet Baraclough wrote:
The message
from "Bob Hobden" contains these words:


"Nick Maclaren" wrote
((huge snip))
However, it tasted of SOMETHING, unlike marrows.

First store for some weeks, even three months.
Then peel, slice and cube the flesh into 2 inch cubes discarding
the
seeds. Saute in butter with plenty of black pepper untill the
cubes
are cooked and start to brown.
You will find they do have a flavour. :-)

Bear in mind, the Maclaren tastebuds snack on whole raw lemons
:~*

A good kitchen tip he use a larding needle to insert whole
chillies. Four per lemon is usually enough.

--
Mike...........I hope you are not suggestingCaribbean Red or Red Savina or
the likes.....H

In article ,
Harold Walker wrote:
"Mike Lyle" wrote in message
...

A good kitchen tip he use a larding needle to insert whole
chillies. Four per lemon is usually enough.

Mike...........I hope you are not suggestingCaribbean Red or Red Savina or
the likes.....H

It depends whether they were locally grown - ones grown here tend to
be a bit anaemic.

That reminds me - I really must make lemon pickle again - that is
fairly close to the recipe :-)


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

"Nick Maclaren" wrote
A good kitchen tip he use a larding needle to insert whole
chillies. Four per lemon is usually enough.

Mike...........I hope you are not suggestingCaribbean Red or Red Savina
or
the likes.....H

It depends whether they were locally grown - ones grown here tend to
be a bit anaemic.

That reminds me - I really must make lemon pickle again - that is
fairly close to the recipe :-)


Sue prefers Hot Lime Pickle!!!

--
Regards
Bob
In Runnymede, 17 miles West of London

Bob Hobden wrote:
"Nick Maclaren" wrote
A good kitchen tip he use a larding needle to insert whole
chillies. Four per lemon is usually enough.

Mike...........I hope you are not suggestingCaribbean Red or Red
Savina or
the likes.....H

It depends whether they were locally grown - ones grown here tend
to
be a bit anaemic.

That reminds me - I really must make lemon pickle again - that is
fairly close to the recipe :-)


Sue prefers Hot Lime Pickle!!!

Ah, that's the secret! If you let the lime flavour dominate, it
tastes like lavatory cleaner smells.

By the way, if any hot-stuff fancier hasn't tried Madhur Jaffrey's
oil-pickled limes, I urge them to get on with it right now: they're a
total knockout. See her _Eastern Vegetarian Cooking_, or ask me to
retail the recipe here.

And, on that subject, can anybody give me the straight dope on
mustard oil? My local Asian shop's stuff says "Pure mustard oil", and
then says "For external use only". Is this just one of those
well-meaning ECisms, or is there a genuine health risk involved?

--
Mike.

That reminds me - I really must make lemon pickle again - that is
fairly close to the recipe :-)

By the way, if any hot-stuff fancier hasn't tried Madhur Jaffrey's
oil-pickled limes, I urge them to get on with it right now: they're a
total knockout. See her _Eastern Vegetarian Cooking_, or ask me to
retail the recipe here.

I too am both a lemon and lime junkie, a real mainliner. I love all things
lemony, the sour-er (is that a word?) the better, the sort that makes your
eyebrows fall off......makes your nose hairs moult......'triffic ! I'd
considered setting up an intravenous lemon juice drip but madam drill-sarg
thought that was going a bit much.
I last made lemon pickle four or five years ago but have lost the damn
recipe. Looked everywhere.
Please, please post your pickle recipe and MJ's. I bet there are others
would also love to have a go.

capstan.

capstan wrote:
[...]
Please, please post your pickle recipe and MJ's. I bet there are
others would also love to have a go.

My pleasure! What follows is the way I explained it in a family
cookery "book" I did for the kids when they started leaving home to
seek their fortunes. Occasionally you get a layer of mould on top
after storage: rather naughtily, I just scoop this off and forget
about it. I suppose a disc of paper before sealing would be good
idea.

I've investigated the mustard-oil problem, as I believe it may have a
preservative as well as a flavour effect. It seems (though you
mustn't just take my word for it) that pure mustard seed oil sold in
Asian shops has to be marked "For external use only" in Europe and
America because it contains something toxic; but this is destroyed by
heating, so Asian cooks ignore the EC and US warnings, and heat the
oil till it begins to smoke before using it -- this is what MJ said
to do in the original recipe.

I've also found mustard oil diluted with other oils in Turkish shops
in London, without the warning.


Oil-pickled limes

For a 40-fl oz jar. Use a proper heat-proof one.



8-10 limes



Mixture A

1 tablesp ground fenugreek (roasted if poss.)

2 tablesp cayenne pepper

1 level tablesp turmeric

2 tablesp mustard seed, well crushed

3 tablesp salt



Mixture B

15 fl oz vegetable oil (mustard oil said to be best, but EC bans it
as a foodstuff)

8 dried chillies, slit lengthwise to avoid exploding

8 cloves

a stick of cinnamon, broken into short lengths

1 tablesp ground asafoetida (don't omit, however vile the smell)

1 tsp ground black pepper



Warm the jar.



Cut each lime into 6 lengthwise wedges - some, maybe 8*. Remove pips.
Roll in mixture A, pack into jar, not too tightly, and put the jar in
the sink, with a newspaper underneath. (If there's any spice mixture
left, add it to the jar.)

Now get any young children and other animals out of the room and heat
the oil until it's runny and carefully put in the mixture B stuff at
arm's length. (You are wearing an apron, aren't you?) Stir round just
once, then pour through your metal preserving funnel (they're cheap
and should last several lifetimes - sorry I've only got one, kids)
onto the limes. Not quickly, because it takes a while to trickle to
the bottom. The jar rarely bursts at this point, but that's why it's
on a newspaper in the sink.

Make sure all the spices go in, that the oil completely covers the
limes, and that there is only a very small air space. If necessary
heat up a bit more oil and pour it in. A greaseproof paper disc on
top would probably be a good idea. Put the lid on tightly.



When you can handle the jar, look for air bubbles and work them up to
the top by tilting and twisting.



Leave for 2-3 months before opening. Keeps on getting better as time
passes.



It seems to mature a bit quicker if the limes have been softened by
freezing first.



*(The proper Indian version splits each lime into four without
actually severing the wedges, and stuffs mixture A inside.)


--
Mike.

"Mike Lyle" wrote capstan wrote:

I've investigated the mustard-oil problem, as I believe it may have a
preservative as well as a flavour effect. It seems (though you
mustn't just take my word for it) that pure mustard seed oil sold in
Asian shops has to be marked "For external use only" in Europe and
America because it contains something toxic; but this is destroyed by
heating, so Asian cooks ignore the EC and US warnings, and heat the
oil till it begins to smoke before using it -- this is what MJ said
to do in the original recipe.

You wait until you use it for cooking, make sure all the windows are open as
hot smoking mustard oil equates to Mustard Gas. :-(
We learnt from experience, probably doing the recipe you are talking about
or one of
Mridula Baljekar's.

If you ever see a copy of Mridula's "Complete Indian Cookbook" published by
Colour Library Books on a second-hand bookstall buy it. Arguably better than
MJ's books.
--
Regards
Bob
In Runnymede, 17 miles West of London

Bob Hobden wrote:
"Mike Lyle" wrote capstan wrote:

I've investigated the mustard-oil problem, as I believe it may
have a
preservative as well as a flavour effect. It seems (though you
mustn't just take my word for it) that pure mustard seed oil sold
in
Asian shops has to be marked "For external use only" in Europe and
America because it contains something toxic; but this is destroyed
by
heating, so Asian cooks ignore the EC and US warnings, and heat
the
oil till it begins to smoke before using it -- this is what MJ
said
to do in the original recipe.

You wait until you use it for cooking, make sure all the windows
are
open as hot smoking mustard oil equates to Mustard Gas. :-(
We learnt from experience, probably doing the recipe you are
talking
about or one of
Mridula Baljekar's.

If you ever see a copy of Mridula's "Complete Indian Cookbook"
published by Colour Library Books on a second-hand bookstall buy
it.
Arguably better than MJ's books.

Sound advice (I still haven't actually dared to use the bottle of
mustard oil I got in town!). And thanks for the tip about the book,
too: I'll look out for it.

--
Mike.

In article , "capstan" writes:
|
| That reminds me - I really must make lemon pickle again - that is
| fairly close to the recipe :-)
|
| By the way, if any hot-stuff fancier hasn't tried Madhur Jaffrey's
| oil-pickled limes, I urge them to get on with it right now: they're a
| total knockout. See her _Eastern Vegetarian Cooking_, or ask me to
| retail the recipe here.
|
| I too am both a lemon and lime junkie, a real mainliner. I love all things
| lemony, the sour-er (is that a word?) the better, the sort that makes your
| eyebrows fall off......makes your nose hairs moult......'triffic ! I'd
| considered setting up an intravenous lemon juice drip but madam drill-sarg
| thought that was going a bit much.
| I last made lemon pickle four or five years ago but have lost the damn
| recipe. Looked everywhere.
| Please, please post your pickle recipe and MJ's. I bet there are others
| would also love to have a go.

There is another one I found that is salted lemons or limes in
lemon/lime juice (unsweetened) and chillis. Very good.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.