When a friend brought me a box of freshly picked Meyers Lemons, memories of my trip to the markets of Essaouira, Morocco and the pyrimids of preserved lemons came to mind. Preserving lemons is so easy and once they are ready you’ll have a goldmine of flavor in your refrigerator to add a burst of mellow tangy, salty flavor to to tagines, salads, seafood, pastas and so much more.
It didn’t take long for me to get all of those lovely yellow ovals submerged in a flavorful brine on the path to preservation. Keep scrolling to see my process, adapted from this Preserved Lemon Recipe from the New York Times.
Preserved lemons
Ingredients
15 organic lemons, washed
1 tablespoon peppercorns
1 teaspoon red chili flakes
2 fresh bay leaves
Preparation
Trim and quarter the top of 9 of the lemons leaving the lower 1/2 inch attached at the bottom.
In a shallow bowl open up the quarters and sprinkle and smooth kosher salt over the cut surfaces, then reshape the fruit.
Cover the bottom of the jar with more kosher salt. Pull the salted quarters together and press them into the jar, sprinkling more salt on each layer. Scrape the juices and salt accumulated in the bowl onto the top of the lemons.
Add the peppercorns and bay leaves to the jar. Juice the remaining 6 lemons and pour the juice in the jar. The lemons should be completely covered with juice, squeeze more lemons if needed.
Close the jar and let it rest in the refrigerator for 3 – 4 weeks. Shake or turn the jar each day.
When they are ready the the rinds will be tender to the bite.
Continue to store the jar it in the refrigerator.
To use, remove a piece of {or the whole} lemon and rinse it. Remove the pulp and cut the rind to desired shape. Add it to dishes towards the end of the cooking process for more pronounced flavor. You can also mince the rind and use it raw to top fish or add to pastas and salads. The pulp can be added to a sauces and soups, but it will be quite salty so adjust your recipe accordingly. The brine can be reused with fresh lemons.
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