Preserved Lemons

Preserved Lemons is a wonderful use of lemons, when you have an excess amount of lemons and you want to use them before they go bad.  Preserved Lemons are typically used in Moroccan cuisine, but are more versatile than that.  They are wonderful in pasta dishes, salads, stews and plenty more.  When I made Moroccan Chicken with Lemons and Olives, I didn’t have any preserved lemons to use.  I promised I would make them and share the recipe.  So here it is for you to enjoy and put to good use.

Wash 6 to 8 lemons very well.  Try and use lemons that are not coated with wax.  I used organic lemons for that very reason.

Cover the bottom of a 1 quart glass jar or canning jar with Kosher salt.

Cut the bottom of the lemon and then cut in 4 wedges, leaving them connected at the bottom.

Open the lemon and pack with salt and coat the outside of lemon.

Pack the salted lemon into the jar, adding some more salt on the top.

Repeat the process until the jar is filled with salted lemons.  Use a wooden spoon to push down on the lemons, to release some of the juice and squeeze in the lemons.

Squeeze in some extra juice to cover the lemons.

Tilt the jar a few times to distribute the salt and lemon juice.

If you find that you have some more space, add more lemons!

Make sure to completely cover the lemons with juice. Close the jar.

Turn the jar upside down from time to time, and store in a cool, dark place.  After a month they are ready to use.

That’s it!  Simple, huh?