Making Your Own Preserved Lemons

Deana at Lost Past Remembered has a wonderful recipe this week for roast chicken with preserved lemon.  It looks stunning.  I am leaving for vacation in a few days and have a fridge full of lemons.  Rather than do the usual - zest, squeeze and freeze - I thought I would make some preserved lemons and try her dish when I return.  Preserved lemons are commonly used in Moroccan and Middle Eastern foods.

It is so easy.

Preserved Lemons

Cut off the top and bottom stem ends off the lemons.  Cut lemon in half to within an inch of the bottom.  Leave in tact.  Cut again to quarter the lemon and leave the bottom in tact.  Fill your jar with lemons cut like this.  Using a pure salt, like kosher or sea salt, rub about a tablespoon into each cut lemon.  Measure two tablespoons on the bottom of the jar.  Add lemons.  Add two more tablespoons of salt on top of the lemons.  Squeeze other lemons to add juice up to about halfway up the lemons.  Let the jar sit on the countertop for a couple of days.  The juice from the lemons will come out.  If after 2 or 3 days the lemons are not submerged in lemon juice, squeeze more and add to the jar.

Move the jar to the refrigerator and let the lemons sit in the brine for up to 3 weeks.  They are now ready to use.

When you use the lemons, rinse thoroughly and scoop out the flesh.  Use only the peel portion.  Remove the white pithy layer as well.  You can also add peppercorns, bay leaf, coriander seeds, whole cloves or bay leaf to the brine as it cures.