Preserved lemons was a hard concept for me to grasp, but I am turning around. Unless you are pretty familiar with Middle Eastern or North African cuisine, you might never have heard of these before. And, in fact, even after culinary school and several years in the restaurant industry, I had never used them myself. Until, I was gifted a jar of preserved lemons about 8-9 years ago. I had them for about a year and then I think they got thrown away in a move. I still feel terrible, because the gift was genuine and a great way to preserve local produce.
Fast-forward 8 years, we planted our own lemon tree, because I figured I couldn’t steal lemons from the neighbors my whole life, and there is a bumper crop. (here in California we are really lucky for all the people that thought they wanted a lemon tree, and now it’s dropping lemons over their property line). And, looking for a way to save all those lemons, I made my first batch of preserved lemons. But, it still took about 6 more months after that for me to find a great use for preserved lemons. Which are a perfect alternative for any dish that uses lemons and salt (as apposed to lemons and sugar).
So when all the fresh lemons are gone and I am making pesto (with basil) in June and I need a lemon, I now break out the preserved lemons. (A common problem with seasonal eating, lemons are ripe in January and basil in June, and I have a pesto recipe that calls for both)
It has taken me another 6 months to feel like I have a grasp on how to use something I made a year ago. I used them in the cauliflower salad recipe and broccoli leaf pesto. They are a perfect substitute for any recipe that calls for lemon, just adjust the salt to account for the salt in the lemon. They also provide a lot of lemon flavor without all the acid that comes from lemon juice.
Here is my recipe for preserved lemons.
I have to say that most recipes out on the internet say to cut a cross in the lemon without going all the way through. I couldn’t easily find out why, and I am sure there is a good reason, but if you are trying to pack the most lemons into the smallest space, working with quarters is much easier. And they preserve just fine.
- 1 quart or two pint mason jars
- 5 lemons
- 10 teaspoons salt
Make sure your jars are really clean. Wash and quarter the lemons. Place two teaspoons of salt in the bottom of the jars and pack in the lemon wedges adding another two teaspoons for every whole lemon. Cover and let sit at room temperature for 3-4 weeks, pressing the lemons every few days, so that they become submerged under the liquid. After a month, store them in the fridge and use them when all the fresh lemons are gone.