Preserved Lemons

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Simple salt-preserved lemons are a culinary delight! They can be used to flavour mashed potatoes or rice and couscous, they elevate sauces, dips or stews; the possibilities are endless. All you need are lemons, a one liter jar and salt!

INGREDIENTS

  • 6-8 whole lemons (organic, unwaxed)

  • 6-8 tbsp Himalayan or sea salt plus extra salt to sprinkle over top at the end

  • 1 liter glass jar, well cleaned (we put it through the dishwasher)

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Clean the outsides of the lemons, rinse and pat dry. Slice the ends from the lemons to create a flat top and bottom, but be careful not to cut into the flesh.

  2. Stand the lemon on one of the flat ends. To preserve the lemons whole, cut an "x" in the lemon and stop when you are about 1/2 inch from cutting all the way through.
    The quarters of the lemon remain attached at the base.

  3. Put the lemons in a bowl, open them and pour in 1 tbsp of salt in each lemon.

  4. Let them sit for ½ hour to draw out the juice, then pack them into the jar as tightly as possible. You can use a wooden tamper or spoon to push them in.

  5. Once all of the lemons are in the jar, add an additional 1 tbsp of salt. Press on the lemons one more time to extract as much juice as possible. If the lemons are submerged in juice you can secure the lid, if not you may need to add additional fresh lemon juice to top them off.

  6. If you find it difficult to fit them all in, you can slice the remaining lemons at the end and push them down the sides. Sprinkle 1 tbsp of salt on top of the final layer of lemons.

  7. The lemons will be ready after a month. Give them a shake every once in a while.

  8. They will keep for 1-2 years.

How to use

When you are ready to use a lemon, remove it from the jar and rinse to remove excess salt if necessary. Cut all of the remaining lemon flesh and pith away from the rind and discard. Chop the preserved lemon peel according to your recipe, or whichever way you prefer.

For a Moroccan Flavour – You can add  one cinnamon stick, 1 fresh red chili and 1-2 bay leaves to this recipe – we just push it down the sides for a Moroccan spiced flavour.

Tip: We buy our organic lemons straight from the farm in Spain when in season!

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