Have you ever preserved lemons? This was my first attempt, and I have to say, it's way easier than I expected! All you need is a clean canning jar, some salt, and a bowl of lemons.
Recipes for preserved lemons abound (even on The Kitchn!), but you hardly need one. All you do is trim the tip and bottom from the lemons, and slice them in quarters almost all the way through, so the segments are still attached at the base. Then spoon as much salt as you can into the cuts and jam them into a canning jar. Cover them with lemon juice, screw on the lid, and 3-4 weeks later, you have preserved lemons.
That's it! I made a whole jar in about fifteen minutes. Over the next few weeks, I'll shake the jar every so often to make sure the salt is evenly distributed and watch for the rinds to get very soft. These preserved lemons will keep refrigerated for up to a year.
I just used plain kosher salt for this round, but you can also add spices like cloves, cinnamon, and coriander seeds. These spices will infuse into the lemons as they preserve, adding their own flavors and aromas. Both the rind and the pulp are edible after preserving. For this reason, I'd recommend finding organic lemons without any coating on their skin.
Wondering what to do with these lemons after you've preserved them? Preserved lemons are a signature flavor in Moroccan cuisine, and I'm looking forward to using them to make chicken tagines, pilafs, and lamb stews. I'm also thinking of using them in summer salsas and relishes, thinly sliced with fish, or as a simple garnish for burgers.
Have you ever preserved lemons? What do you like to do with them?
Related: Hot and Steamy: A Visual Tutorial of Hot Water Bath Canning
(Images: Emma Christensen)
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Make sure you let them get nice and ugly! The pretty yellow ones don't have as much flavor as the hideous brown ones.
fantastic using Myers lemons
stuff a chicken with one of the lemons before roasting
This might be a dumb question, but you cover them with lemon juice? Where do you get the lemon juice from? Other lemons?
spicy (salt, Cayenne, sesame oil and other variations)pickles (using lemons) are commonplace in Indian Cuisine. With Naan or any other bland dish it helps perk things up
@Maggs not a dumb question! Squish the lemons as you put them in the jar to release their juices. But you'll also want to buy extra lemons just for their juice, since you want the lemons to be covered entirely.
I preserved a jar of lemons a few weeks ago and figured they should be ready so opened the jar today to check on the end result. I had put some spices in the jar along with olive oil to top it off. The lemons felt very mushy and oily, I wondered if the olive oil helped to make this tastier or actually took away from the end result of the preserved lemons. I guess what i'm wondering is, what affect the olive oil had on the process of preserving the lemons? Any ideas?
I just did this with limes yesterday! One of my other favorite blogs is rereading Little Women (and doing fun, snarky chapter summaries in the voices of the characters!) and I was inspired to try to make pickled limes in honor of Amy March. This is exactly the method I used and I can't wait to try them in a few weeks.
My housemates and I use preserved lemons to make salad dressing -- I like to shake them up with tahini and balsamic vinegar. You'd be surprised how quickly we go through a jar this way.
umm will try this,once done do wehave to keep in fridge or at normal temperature
I use these all the time. Just a few tips though:
I use lemon juice in a bottle to cover the lemons. It's cheaper and easier.
I slice the lemons completely into quarters. It makes it easier to pack more in and then get them out again.
They don't need keeping in the fridge. I'm in the UK and just keep them out on a shelf, with the lid on obviously. They keep fine.
I'm pretty sure the NY Times' DIY Cooking Handbook started this preserved lemon blogging craze. I tried it as soon as I read it. Find the original here if you need a more detailed how-to:
www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/03/16/dining/16diy-recipes.html#view=intro
asparagus quinoa w/ preserved lemons. YUM!
http://exclusivegenerator.blogspot.com/2011/04/asparagus-quinoa-with-preserved-lemons.html
I love them in a sauce on roasted cauliflower - for the sauce, blend garlic, tahini sauce, sesame oil, preserved lemons, with enough water to make it the consistency of salad dressing, then pour on the cauliflower and top with a dash of paprika. The lemons really make this pop.
I add them to kale when I cook it. http://web.stagram.com/p/586037808_17539839
Do you have to use a canning jar. Can you use a regular big jar like a pickle jar?