Saturday, May 10, 2008

preserved lemons


A few months ago my wonderful husband brought me a Meyer lemon tree in a pot, something I have been wanting for years! At the moment it is loaded up with 7 lemons that are not far off picking- quiet a lot of lemons for such a tiny tree! I have been churning over in my head what to do with these precious lemons, and have pretty much settled on the idea of preserving them. I have never actually done it before, but these lemons will be perfect as they are unwaxed, and hopefully chemical free. Here's the recipe I will follow,

Moroccan preserved lemons
3 to 4 unwaxed, thin-skinned lemons
About 25g coarse salt
3 to 4 bay leaves (optional)
Juice of 2 to 3 lemons

1. Make slits or 'pockets' on either side of each lemon by cutting downwards from the top to within 1.5cm of the base. Gently open each lemon and pack salt into the cuts. Reshape the lemons.
2. Spoon a layer of salt into a warm, sterilised jar, then pack the lemons into the jar, pressing them firmly and squeezing in as many as possible. Sprinkle in any remaining salt and add the bay leaves, if using, as you go.
3. Add enough lemon juice to come within 1.5cm of the top of the jar. Cover with nonreactive lids. Label the jar and store in a cool, dark, dry place for at least one month before using. Keeps for one to two years.

If anyone has a recipe they think would be better than this one, please let me know!

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