Went to Costco the other day and bought 5 pounds of lemons. I had to – the price was all of $6. So I made juice for freezing in ice cube trays and preserved lemons. The latter are a staple in Moroccan and Middle Eastern cuisines and add a nice pop of citrus flavor to fish, vegetables and roasted meats. It is a very simple recipe – the difficult part is waiting a few weeks for them to pickle a bit – then after a month, they can be used to jazz up couscous, veggies, fish and meat dishes. I love to use them in tagine recipes. YUM!
Its super easy- start with washing the lemons really well and submerge the glass jars and lids in boiling water
Allow the jars to air dry, then cut the lemons in quarters (but not all the way through) and fill with coarse salt
Literally stuff them into a jar so they are snug as a bug in a rug, add lemon juice to fill, submerging all the lemons
Seal the jar/s and leave in a cool place for 1 week – add spices as desired, a thin layer of olive oil and leave for 3 more weeks Refrigerate
Ingredients for 2 – 16 oz jars
- 12 lemons, preferably organic, divided – 6 for preserving, juice the other 6
- 6-8 tablespoons coarse sea salt
- chili peppers, peppercorns, cinnamon sticks, allspice berries, rosemary sprigs