I love preserved lemons. Easy to make, they brighten up almost any dish from salads to pizzas. I add strips to bowls of olives and chop the zesty rinds and add them to platters of green beans. And let’s face it – they are beautiful to look at in your pantry or fridge!
Cassie, our new intern, had never preserved lemons before so we started in the garden. This time of year meyer lemons are my garden’s bigbest bounty and I often need help to keep up with harvesting!
Even the chickens helped out!
Once inside we rinsed the lemons and set out our ingredients.
Preserved lemons:
Lemons
Kosher salt
Bay leaves (dried)
Black peppercorns
Coriander seed (dried)
Dried chilis
Canning jars, preferably wide mouthed
I like to start by pouring a small amount of the salt into the cannin jar and in the bowl I will be stuffing the lemons over. Next take a pairing knife and partially quarter a lemon length wise.
Stuff the lemon with at least 1 tsp. salt and place in the jar.
Continue doing this until the first layer is full – you really want to pack them in there so don’t be shy about squeezing the lemons in!
Now it is time to customize your preserved lemons. I tend towards the classic combination of bay leaf and peppercorns – but Cassie likes it hot, so she added dried chilies, peppercorns and coriander to her jar.
Continue adding the quartered lemons until you reach the jar’s lip. Press down on the lemons to release their juice – and add lemon juice if necessary.
The lemons must be completely covered by lemon juice. Put on the lid and – you’re done! Most recipes will tell you to store the preserved lemons in the refrigerator but I know folks who keep them in their pantry. Your preserved lemons will be ready to use in a matter of weeks and keep for a year.