These are super simple and quite simply sunshine in a jar. They do take a couple of months to mature and build the flavour but I can highly recommend them for all sorts of uses – tagines such as this Sea Bream and Vegetable Tagine , Charmoulla for this Preserved Feta with Charmoulla to savour with cheese or simply whisked into a salad dressing.
Sunny lemons!
You’ll need
- A jar of your chosen size
- Lemons to fit your jar
- 2 tbsp of table salt per lemon
- 150-200ml lemon juice depending on the size of your jar
To make them
- Sterilise your jars in boiling water. I simply put them in a hot dishwash and then dry them in a120C oven for about 15 minutes.
- Soften the lemons by rolling them on your work surface.
- Cut the lemon in half and half again with slits that goes almost all the way down. You need to leave about 5mm at the bottom.
- Stuff the opening with a tablespoon of salt and then close the lemon back up tightly. Repeat for each lemon.
- Push the lemons into your jar one by one adding a tablespoon of salt between each one.
- Pour in the lemon juice. It should reach about 2 cm from the rim of the jar.
- Seal the jar and then leave in a warm place for around a month. Give the jar a turn every few days to evenly distribute the juice and salt.
Preserved lemons in progress
Squeezing lemons
Simple enough. I’ve never really thought about preserving lemons, though it’s very Diana Henry/Morroccan-esque so I’d probably use them up quickly enough! Thanks for sharing the knowledge 🙂
Yes it is very Diana Henry isn’t it. Though I would also cite paula Wolfert and her Morocco book which I am currently wading though. Such a lovely book.
funny. it seemed totally paula wolfert to me because i read the recipe a while back on leite’s culinaria. my dadi used to make these in pakistan but with the small lemons (a little smaller than limes). their skins are much thinner and i love eating them with lentils and rice.
Oooh they sound great. Less time to mature also. I might try that with the small Indian lemons in Wembley
Oooooh I love lemons so am totally loving all your lush lemon pictures on this post!!!!!!
Thanks 🙂 something very cleansing about them eh?
What is your favorite thing to use the preserved lemons with?
Currently I’m obsessed with this charmoulla http://thebotanicalbaker.wordpress.com/recipes/fruit/lemon/feta-with-charmoulla/
Oh yes, I would love a copy of Paula Wolfert’s book. I think I have another one of hers on Mediterranean food. I must make time for these, have spent too long not doing anything about it!
I love her writing. The Food of Morocco books reads like a travel journal. It inspired our whole holiday last summer