Preserved Lemons (Citrons Confits)

Lemons are delicious, healthy, rich in vitamin C and their use in the kitchen is not only culinary. When I saw an algerian recipe for chicken and "citrons confits", I knew I had to find a traditional recipe to be true to the recipe. I forgot where I found the original recipe but here is the way I do my preserved lemons. I keep them for about a year or so and they still are delicious. They are kept in olive oil, which adds to my need for tasty oils in my salads, soups, pastas or casseroles, after the lemons are gone. So here it is!!

• Ready In: 15 mins
• Serves: 4-6
• Yields: 12 lemons

Ingredients

• 10 -12  lemons
• 1⁄2 cup coarse salt
•  olive oil, to fill

Directions

1. Slice each lemon to obtain nice rounds and put in a big bowl.
2. Put the lemon juice, obtained by the slicing, aside in the refrigerator.
3. Sprinkle coarse salt over the lemon slices, toss to mix well, cover with a clean cloth and let to marinate for about 10 to 12 hours.
4. When the timing is over, rinse thoroughly, dry well and pack the lemon slices in sterilized jars.
5. Distribute the lemon juice, kept in the refrigerator, equally in each jar filled with lemon slices.
6. Cover with olive oil. It is of the utmost importance that the lemon slices are all covered by the oil.
7. The preserved lemons prepared this way are ready to use after 2 weeks.