Jams, pickles and preserves

There is absolutely no doubt now that spring is here - we had a howling Nor'wester last night that necessitated turning the tele up a notch it was so loud. And nowhere is it more evident that spring is present than in the Lil and Matt kitchen. The past week has yielded:

1. a batch of marmalade:

Which, by the way, I won't be entering in this year's A&P show. I think it'd be nice to let someone else take the prize this year.

2. some pickled onions:

They aren't actually pickled yet because it takes a few weeks, but hopefully they will be yummy. Matt and I both enjoy a pickled onion with cheese before dinner.

3. and just tonight... preserved lemons!

I have never preserved lemons before, and used a Stephanie Alexander recipe which is a Middle Eastern version with cloves and cinnamon. I am so excited but they won't be ready for eating for at least a month. Preserved lemons were mentioned in the book The Rabbi's Daughter by Reva Mann, and they sound good.

I have a few other spring projects on the go, but more about them in another post.