Preserved Lemons
- Ready In:
- 30mins
- Ingredients:
- 5
- Yields:
-
1 quart
ingredients
- 12 lemons
- 1⁄4 cup kosher salt, more as needed
- 2 bay leaves (optional)
- 3 allspice berries (optional)
- 1⁄2 teaspoon black peppercorns (optional)
directions
- Juice four of the lemons and set the juice aside for later. Wash the remaining lemons well in warm water and cut them in half lengthwise; cut the halves lengthwise again, stopping about 1/2-inch from the bottom, leaving the quarters attached. Add one tablespoon salt to the bottom of a clean 1-quart jar (wide mounth is best) Then sprinkle the remaining salt generously in the cuts of each half and all over the exposed flesh of the lemons. Layer in the jar, cut side down, adding the bay leaves, allspice and peppercorns as you go.
- Press down on the lemons to release their juices and to make sure they fit in the jar. (If the juice released from the pressed fruit does not cover them completely, add additional fresh lemon juice to cover completely. Leave about 1/2-inch headspace in the jar and seal tightly.
- Let the lemons macerate for 30 days in a warm, dark place, shaking or turning the jar every day or two to distribute the salt and juice. After 30 days, store the lemons in the refrigerator for up to one year.
- To use, rinse the lemons as needed under running water; remove and discard the pulp, if desired.
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RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
Semi-professional--have worked in restaurants for 25+ years and working in the kitchen is my best therapy. I love to try new and different ingredients and techniques and parse out most of my experiments to friends & family and any other willing guinea pigs.
My favorite cookbook, right now, is "The Art of Simple Food", by Alice Waters--amazing recipes, information and advice for any level of cook.
Here in the desert, you've gotta try Wangs, Roscoe Grill, Copley's, Tyler's...to name a few.
My all-time favorite restaurant is Huggo's on The Big Island of Hawaii--the food is pretty good, but the ambience & location are what put it over the top.