Today I’m starting a section of pantry staples. Just a recipe, a photo or two, and a few words. Quick and easy. It is February in Berkeley, CA and the Meyer lemon trees are full! So the “essentials” for my pantry (this month) will be lemon rich. First up: Preserved Lemons, a Moroccan condiment.
Preserved Lemons take no time at all to put together, but they do need to sit for a month before they are ready to use. The basic recipe is to cut lemons into wedges and pack them with salt. The salt preserves and tenderizes the lemon rind which makes it a wonderful addition to tagines, couscous, salads, and more.
This variation includes black peppercorns, coriander seeds, and bay leaves. Not only does it make for a pretty jar, the lemons develop a greater depth of flavor.
Ingredients
- 12 more or less (depending on size) organic lemons, scrubbed
- Kosher or sea salt as needed
- Two bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
- 1 tablespoons coriander seeds
- Fresh lemon juice as needed
Instructions
Set a lemon on one end and cut vertically into sixths to within ½ inch from the bottom. Fill each cut lemon with as much salt as it will hold. Place the lemons in a sterilized wide mouth quart jar, adding peppercorns, coriander seeds and bay leaves as you go. Compress the lemons when adding them, filling the jar as tightly as possible. Add more lemon juice as needed to reach almost to the top of the jar. Stretch a piece of plastic wrap over the top of the jar (otherwise the lemon juice will rust the lid of the canning jar) and cover the jar tightly with a lid. Let the lemons stand at room temperature for one month. Every once in a while turn the upside down to distribute the salt and juice. Make sure the lemons are covered with juice at all times. You may add more juice as necessary. The lemons are ready to use when the rinds are tender. To use the lemons, rinse them well and discard the seeds and pulp before using. Refrigerate after opening. They will keep in the refrigerator for up to six months.
http://madeleineeffect.com/2015/02/preserved-lemons/
So when they are ready, you eat the whole thing including the rind? How does the salt affect the sweet/sour citrusy lemon taste? Can they be any organic lemons? Are Meyers best?
This is so cool and different!
The rind is the part you eat! You have to rinse them because they are very salty. I scrape the fruit off of the rind and discard it. The fruit gets pretty slimy. The taste is somewhat exotic–kind of like a super fragrant, citrusy, savory marmalade. Definitely still lemony. I like Meyer Lemons the best, but have made them with Eurekas–also very good. You do want to use organic lemons, though. I think you will love them. Best eaten as an ingredient, not alone. I will post a recipe that calls for preserved lemons soon. Maybe tomorrow!
The rind gets very tender and not at all bitter. Magical!
Fabulous! I’ve been looking for things to do with all the lemons I suddenly have! Approximately how much lemon juice do you need? I assume that the lemon juice needs to come from lemons other than the ones that you’ve squished into the jar? Looking forward to trying this! Thanks!
Yes, the extra juice comes from additional lemons, but quite a bit of juice is squeezed out as you are packing the lemons into the jar. I think I only used the juice of one or two additional lemons.
So happy you are making these lemons. You’ll be hooked! And finally a recipe with no sugar–just for you!
I only recently heard of preserved lemons. Made my first batch and I’m hooked! This is the best thing since peanut butter! I’ve been using them in salads, steamed veggies and even pasta! Yum!