Preserved Lemons
Preserved lemons are essentially pickled lemons; lemons that have brined in salt and lemon juice. They are bright and citrusy, but less tart than fresh lemons, making them more versatile to use in your recipes.
Equipment
- Knife
- glass jar wide mouth, large enough to fit 3-4 lemons
Ingredients
- 3-5 lemons depending on size and juiciness, might need more for topping up the jar with fresh juice
- 5-6 tbsp kosher salt
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp peppercorns
Instructions
- Add 2 tbsp of salt to the bottom of your mason jar
- Start cutting up your lemons. Depending on the size of your jar, cut 3-5 lemons by first slicing off the stem, then slicing lemons into quarters, stopping 1 cm before the bottom of the lemon so they stay together.
- Gently pull lemons apart and sprinkle a generous amount of salt in the cuts before reforming.
- Add lemons to the glass jar, cut sides down, pushing down with your fingers or a spoon to release their juices and compact them into the jar. It's okay if they break apart at this stage.
- Add 2 more tbsp of salt to the top of your jar, and add the bay leaves and peppercorns.
- If needed, add fresh squeezed juice to the jar until the lemons are completed submerged.
- Put a lid on the jar and turn it over a few times to mix,.
- Put in a cool, dark spot for 3-4 weeks, until the lemons are soft and tangy. This is a bit of personal preference and fermentation times vary based on room temperature. Burp the jar every few days, especially at the beginning. Gasses will start to form as your lemons ferment - this is good!
- Once happy with the level of fermentation, move the jar to the fridge. Store for up to 6 months.