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Kaffir lime leaves

I found a packet at Whole Foods, so I bought it! 2 questions:
Ideas, recipes that I can use them for?
Can I freeze them to use later?

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Answer »
Baci1
HalfPint added 4 months ago
Voted the Best Answer!

yes you can freeze them. i do.

ideas for use:
any Thai soup or curry will benefit from a few leaves. think of them as like bay leaves, but much more fragrant.
Infuse in sugar syrup for drinks or baked sweets.
Steep in vodka and use in mixed cocktails like a mojito.
Add to brewed tea.

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hardlikearmour is a trusted home cook.

added 4 months ago

Oh! Save some for summer and make this: http://food52.com/recipes...

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AntoniaJames is a trusted source on Bread/Baking.

added 4 months ago

Also essential in homemade Thai curry pastes . . . . and they're magical in a broth made with lemongrass, galangal, crushed coriander seeds, a few peppercorns, a couple handfuls of coarsely chopped cilantro stems and a few cloves of crushed garlic. ;o)

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creamtea added 4 months ago

Thanks AJ. Do you mean a chicken-based broth or a simple one with just those ingredients?

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AntoniaJames is a trusted source on Bread/Baking.

added 4 months ago

creamtea, you could put those ingredients into a plain chicken stock if you wanted, but lately (since I started making 18 out of every 21 meals vegan) have just been putting those ingredients into a big pot with filtered water. I notice that I left out another ingredient that invariably finds its way into this stock: the dark green top parts of scallions, which I save in the fridge for this purpose. We always have extra, it seems. A small regular onion or a few shallots could be used instead. ;o)

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creamtea added 4 months ago

Thanks, HalfPint, hardlikearmour and AJ. Can't wait to try them out in all these ways.

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Panfusine added 4 months ago

Freeze them.. or shade dry them

Imag0055
mainecook61 added 4 months ago

Or grow them. I'm mostly an outdoor gardener, but I have a kaffir lime tree in a large pot indoors (in Maine) and it does quite nicely. It will supply you with more leaves than you will ever use, and it is not nearly as fussy as a potted citrus like the Meyer lemon that is its next door inside neighbor. Careful (not over) watering and some misting and fish emulsion are all you need.

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sel et poivre added 4 months ago

I find that they dry out quite fast in the fridge and thus become tasteless. I have kept them in the freezer but after a week, they lost their distinctive smell. My best bet is to buy them in small quantities next time or .. grow your own plant. Oh btw, they are a match made in heaven with ground peanuts.

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sel et poivre added 4 months ago

Try putting them in peanut sauce for Gado-gado (Indonesian salad)

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