Preserved Lemons
The first time I experienced preserved lemons was during one of my trips to Morocco in my young explorer days. They add depth to dishes and are eaten skins and all.
Fermenting takes the bitterness out of many vegetables and it is true of some fruits as well. The flavor profile is a bit like a not so sweet lemon sour patch kid. They are so tasty and addictive! Most people rinse the salt off of them before eating but as I can blame my E.R. trip on low sodium levels I have been eating them simply cut up over my fish and avocados.
Equipment
- Cutting Board
- Knife
- Glass jar with swing top lid
Ingredients
- 6-10 organic lemons washed (varies with the size of your jar)
- Himalayan pink salt
- French rolling pin or tamper for pressing down lemons
- Swing top glass jar 1-2 liters
- Bay leaves optional
- Peppercorns optional
- Cinnamon sticks optional
Instructions
- Sanitize your jar and fermenting weight in the oven at 180 for 3-5 minutes.
- Put a tablespoon of pink salt in the bottom of your jar.
- Place the lemon nose up and stem down on a cutting board and slice down from the top, stopping about 1/2 inch from the bottom. Rotate the lemon 90 and slice down again, making a cross or + shape.
- Open the lemon slightly and sprinkle salt in the flesh on both sides and then open it the other way and sprinkle with more salt. Place in the jar and press down.
- Repeat with each lemon until you get about 1/2 way and press it down until the juices cover the rinds.
- Sprinkle a bit more salt as well as your peppercorns and other spices if using. I usually slide the tip of a couple bay leaves and a cinnamon stick into the edge of the jar at this point.
- Repeat the slicing and salting until the jar is filled and then press down with your rolling pin again. Add more lemons if needed or squeeze some lemon juice in to cover the top. Press down again until you have about 2" room at the top.
- If needs be you can break them apart to fill the gaps.
- Once the liquid covers the lemons, place your fermenting weight in the top and seal the jar.
- Write the date on the bottom and leave to ferment for a month!
- When you want to use a lemon for a recipe you'll most likely want to rinse it (the Moroccans do). Use them sliced up in a dish or if you're one of those crazies like me just eat them chopped up in a salad.