I love these lemons. See? They keep for a long time.
Are you tired of the same old citrus? Do you have trouble with your lemons spoiling before you can use them? I have a solution for you – Preserve them.
Anyone who knows me knows that I am a sucker for preserving. I don’t have a problem with lemons going bad, but I do like the flavor these give. Turns out preserved lemons have been around for ages. (The great Wikipedia says they have been around since the 1800′s. Who wants to argue with Wiki?)
One can substitute limes or even grapefruits for the pickle. They go great with pasta dishes, fish, stews of the Moroccan fashion. They will keep almost indefinitely in the fridge.
This is NOT a fast fix – these babies will take over 30 days to properly set. The wait will be worth it, I promise!
Preserved Lemons
Make 12 lemons
Ingredients:
- 12 lemons, scrubbed, slit in quarters, but NOT entirely through
- 100 grams coarse salt
- 15 grams coriander seed
- 5 bay leaves
- 5 dried red chili
- 6 2 inch sticks of cinnamon
Method:
- Slice through the core of the lemon, taking care not to slice all the way through. You will have a nice lemon flower.
- Grab one lemon at a time; sprinkle the salt inside; place into container face up.
- Pack all the lemons you salt tightly into container; arrange them attractively so they will look good while brining. (It is for show as well!)
- Push in the seasonings, sprinkle the rest of the salt inside the container. If you find that the amount of liquid in the jar is not covering the lemons, add a bit of lemon juice to cover.
- Do not refrigerate them yet. Avoid the temptation for at least 48 hours. The salt will give off liquids. (If the lemons are not under the liquid, put a weight to keep them down.)
- Once the lemons are on their way, put them in the refrigerator in the back for at least 30 days before using them.
- To use, wash off brine, separate pulp from the rind, and use according to the recipe.
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
I’d never heard of preserved lemons until I picked up Martio Batalli’s Babbo cookbook, and now they’re everywhere. The recipe I have calls for just lemons, salt and lemon juice – I bet they’re even better with all the spices!
Preserved lemons are on my must do list. Honestly they have been sitting on that list for years. This post just moved them to the top of the list however. GREG
@Greg – I am happy to inspire. I love the post you came up with!
My batch just finished up, I think I have had them for about two months and they are very very tasty. I did mine with cinnamon, star anise, and cloves. They ended up very sweet, and tart tasting. I was wondering how the flavour profile ended up in your spice setup? I would be eager to try it.
Congrats on a successful batch of lemons. The natural sweetness of the lemons is counterbalanced by the brine, and the bitterness is broken down from the long fermentation process. I know that they go great in long, slowly cooked Tagines, where the pulp, juice, brine and peel all lend dimension to the final dish. I also do a vinaigrette with the pulp that is awesome as well.
What do you plan to use yours for?
These look amazing! I have a couple of questions:
a) do the lemons have to be meyer lemons?
b) is there a method for preserving them in a ball jar? Having two roommates who also
love to cook.
thanks!
@Margaret: thank you for the kind words!
You can use any kind of citrus fruit you like. I’ve even seen kumquats used. You just need to make sure they are washed, that way you don’t have any wax to impede the process.
As for a bell jar, the container you use doesn’t matter. As long as it’s non-reactive, can be covered- it’s good to go. I made some preserved key limes in an old mustard container. It worked fabulously.
I hope that helps you out. Check back and let me know how it goes!