Looking for something to spice up your Moroccan dishes, such as your favorite Moroccan tagine, or simply add great, zesty flavor to your signature lemon vinaigrette? Or are you tired of running across some intriguing recipe online and realizing that you can’t make it because you don’t have the required preserved lemons? And let’s face it – preserved lemons aren’t the sort of thing you can pick up at your neighborhood grocery store.
But here’s a secret: they’re ridiculously easy to make. So easy that it’s entirely possible to have a jar of them in your fridge at all times.
How does one preserve lemons? Here’s a recipe that’s adapted from my favorite canning book, “Preserve It,” edited by Lynda Brown with Carolyn Humphries and Heather Whinney.
You’ll need:
4 organic lemons
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
A mason jar – the prettier the better.
Additionally, you can add extra spices to the jar such as 4 bay leaves, ½ teaspoon black peppercorns, 1 dried chile, a few cloves or coriander or cumin seeds.
To use preserved lemons:
- Preserved lemons will be tender, mellow and, yes, lemony. Slice them thinly and layer them over fish or pasta dishes.
- Chop them finely and whisk into salad dressings, or toss them into salsa or add them to pesto.
- Sprinkle bits of preserved lemons into stews, soups and salads for a pop of flavor.
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ONE
Gather up 4 fresh, organic lemons and wash them well. You’ll use 2 of them to juice and 2 to preserve in salt. Meyer lemons also work very well, when available. The preserved lemons will keep up to a year in the fridge.
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TWO
Make two deep, perpendicular cuts in 2 of the lemons, almost quartering each lemon while not completely cutting through it. Pour salt into the cut lemons and stuff them into a sterilized mason jar. Juice the 2 remaining lemons, reserving the juice.
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THREE
Add the bay leaves or whatever spices you’d like to the jar. Add the juice from the 2 remaining lemons into the jar. Finally, fill the rest of the jar with water that’s been boiled then cooled and any remaining salt that you didn’t pack into the lemons. Seal the jar, shake well and store at room temperature. Occasionally shake the jar so the salt will redistribute. Leave it alone for at least 3 to 4 weeks so the lemon rinds will soften. To use, rinse thoroughly and discard the seeds.
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