Moroccan Salted Citrus Fruits

Morocco - a country in the northern part of Africa which I do not know much about. Berbes, red clay, Maghrib Kingdom, French language, endless deserts, colorful food markets with everything possible for curious or demanding shoppers excite imagination when thinking of it. When I think of globalization, I have two things in mind: it is sad that some cultures disappear while blending in larger ones but it is amazing that people can easily learn something about countries and cultures far away from them. New cuisines and ingredients are remarkable parts of new knowledge that we are very lucky to experience:-)
Moroccan chicken is a must if you want to experience the cuisine of northern Africa. A year ago, I decided to prepare my first Moroccan Chicken. Besides flavorous Moroccan spices, salted lemons were a necessary ingredient. As Russians say, "The first attempt is a lump", my first attempt to salt lemons did not end as I wanted. Even though the ingredients were very basic: lemons and salt, I did not understand how lemons could be covered by juice completely or how much salt was necessary. Luckily, we are the one who decides how many attempts to take:-) So, I have learned from my experience and my friend's advice that one to two lemons can be used for juice only and there is never two much salt:-) Also this time, I tried a new variation with other citrus fruits, limes and oranges. So, here is the recipe:

Ingredients
for 1 jar

10 Citrus fruits: 5 lemons, 4 limes, 1 orange (washed and dried)
1 pack of sea salt (can be both crystals or powder)
Cinnamon stick
Bay leaves
Cloves clavos

Instructions 

1. Prepare a clean and sterilized jar.

2. Take one lemon, from one end, slice it as to half it but not until the end (leaving the base of the lemon intact). Slice it in half from another end also leaving the base intact.

3. Squeeze some juice of the lemon in the jar. Sprinkle a generous amount of salt on it - approximately 2 to 3 table spoons of salt for 1 lemon. Place the lemon in the jar. Add a small cinnamon stick, a bay leaf and 1 to 2 cloves clavos. Repeat the same procedure with the rest of citrus fruits.

4. The last 2 lemons are left for juice. Squeeze the juice covering the citrus fruits in the jar and a bit on a cap of the jar. Sprinkle salt on the cap generously and cover the jar. That way, you reduce the chances of mold to spoil your efforts:-)

5. Place the jar in a cool dark place of room temperature and keep it there for two weeks.

* Salted citrus fruits can be used with any poultry, meat or veggies. They go also well with rice.

* If you like, you can use lemons only instead of various citrus fruits.

* I reuse my jars. After washing and drying them, I keep jars in a dry place. To sterilize a jar, I place it and a cap in the oven on the lowest temperature for 10 to 15 minutes. After that, I cool them off.

* If a jar in not fully filled with citrus fruits, you can add some extra.

* If you prefer other spices, feel free to incorporate them. My friend Julia recommended me the current selection of spices, however you can also salt lemons without any spices at all.

Bon Appetit!