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| Lemons, limes, satsumas--oh my! |
Hollygrove Market and Farm and various backyard grower friends have bestowed upon me such a bounty of citrus that I decided to preserve it.....by making preserved lemons! A staple in Middle Eastern dishes, preserved lemons add a mellow, salty-citrusy brightness to literally any dish. The recipe is super simple: you need lemons, coarse kosher salt, additional spices, and a mason jar. I used a variety of lemons; my current favorite is the Meyer lemon, which is sweeter than a regular lemon since they are believed to be half lemon, half mandarin orange.
Since these lemons are being preserved whole, using organic lemons is best--that way you know that the peel isn't harboring any harmful chemicals. Either way, be sure to scrub the lemons thoroughly before following through with this recipe.
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| Score the lemons lengthwise, leaving the very bottom of the lemon connected. Loosen the score a bit with your fingers so you can pour salt all up in there. |
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| The more salt; the more, the better. Pack it in there real good! |
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| Pour about a half inch of salt on the bottom of the mason jar, then pack the lemons in. I used a HUGE jar, because I had so many lemons, but any size jar will do. |
Squish the lemons into the jar as you pack them, and fill to within an inch of the rim with extra lemon juice. I ran out of lemon juice and instead juiced a satsuma and a grapefruit; as long as the juice is acidic, I don't think it matters much in a pinch. You can also throw some additional spices in there to brew--common additions are bay leaves, whole black peppercorns, and a cinnamon stick.
Once the lemons are packed in the jar, let them sit for a while in a cool, dark place. Mine sat for 14 days, but the longer they sit, the softer the peel becomes and the mellower the flavor. I turned mine upside down once a day to be sure the brine was evenly incorporated.
When your lemons are ready, pull one out and slice it as thinly as possible. A lot of people scoop out the pulp, but I like to add it to my dish, especially if I'm mixing instead of sprinkling and the saltiness can be evenly distributed. A lot of people also rinse the salt off the peel before slicing, but I would rather use that citrusy salt and just leave out any additional salt my dish requires. You can add your preserved lemons to risotto, potato salad, sauteed greens, roasted potatoes....they literally brighten the flavor of any dish. Bon appetit!
