History
Historically, pickling was an affordable and practical method of preserving lemons for use long after their season and far away from where they are grown. Early 19th-century English, American, and (in translation) Indian cookbooks give recipes for lemon pickle and mention its use in sauces for salmon, veal, etc.; dishes where today fresh lemon zest and/or juice would be used.
An early 19th century recipe is as follows:
They should be small, and with thick rinds: rub them with a piece of flannel; then slit them half down in four quarters, but not through to the pulp; fill the slits with salt hard pressed in, set them upright in a pan for four or five days, until the salt melts; turn them thrice a day in their own liquor, until tender; make enough pickle to cover them, of rape-vinegar, the brine of the lemons, Jamaica pepper, and ginger; boil and skim it; when cold, put it to the lemons, with two ounces of mustard-seed, and two cloves of garlic to six lemons. When the lemons are used, the pickle will be useful in fish or other sauces.
— A Lady
A similar recipe appears in Mary Randolph's 1824 cookbook. Similar recipes also appear in earlier cookbooks, such as the 18th century cookbook by English housekeeper Elizabeth Raffald. Some recipes include grating or thinly peeling the lemons, and preserving the peels (zest) which were dried for later use.
Read more about this topic: Preserved Lemon
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