Preserved Lemon

Preserved Lemons

Most recipes prefer to preserve the thinner-skinned, sweeter Meyer lemons, but standard lemons work equally well. To make them, all that is required is lemons and salt.

Wash the lemons well. While holding them over a plate to catch the juice, make four deep longitudinal cuts, evenly spaced around the lemon, effectively dividing it into four sections attached at the ends. Don’t make the cuts so long (going into the ends) that the lemons separates into pieces; you want to keep the lemons whole. (Alternatively, cut the lemons into quarters, leaving the attached only at the stem end.) Pack the cuts generously with salt. Put a couple of tablespoons of salt in the bottom of a jar and pack the lemons in layers, sprinkling a thin layer of salt between each layer of lemons. Push the lemons down firmly to pack them tightly and to help express some of their juice. Finish with a final layer of salt. Pour any juices that collected on the plate when the lemons were cut. Cover the jar tightly. Leave at room temperature for a few days, monitoring the level of liquid in the jar. The lemons should be submerged in juice after a few days. If they are not, add more lemon juice. The lemons will be ready to eat in a few weeks and will keep for up to a year.