Preserved Lemons
Equipment needed: Shallow bowl, Sterile Quart-sized mason jar, sharp knife
Servings Prep Time
1.5cups 10minutes
Passive Time
30days
Servings Prep Time
1.5cups 10minutes
Passive Time
30days
Ingredients
  • 5 lemons8-10 Meyer lemons
  • 1/2cup saltmore if desired
Optional Safi (Moroccan) mixture:
Instructions
  1. Place 2 tablespoons of salt in the bottom of a sterilized mason jar.
  2. One by one, prepare the lemons: quarter from the top to within 1/2 inch from the bottom. Do not cut through all the way!
  3. Pry the lemons open and generously sprinkle salt all over the insides and outsides of the lemons. You may add spices at this point as well.
  4. Pack the lemons in the jar, squishing them down so that juice is extracted and the lemon juice rises to the top of the jar. Fill up the jar with lemons, make sure the top is cover with lemon juice. If the juice released from the squished lemons does not cover them, add freshly squeezed lemon juice- not chemically produced lemon juice and not water*. Top with a couple tablespoons of salt.
  5. Seal the jar and let sit at room temperature for a couple days. Turn the jar upside down occasionally. Put in refrigerator and let sit, again turning upside down occasionally, for at least 3 weeks, until lemon rinds soften.
  6. To use, remove a lemon from the jar and rinse thoroughly in water to remove salt. Discard seeds before using. Discard the pulp before using, if desired.
  7. Store in refrigerator for 6 months to a year.
Recipe Notes

*According to the late Michael Field, the best way to extract the maximum amount of juice from a lemon is to boil it in water for 2 or 3 minutes and allow it to cool before squeezing.

Recipe and feature picture from http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/how_to_make_preserved_lemons/ and http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Preserved-Lemons-231570