Preserved Lemons are very easy to make and are a very versatile condiment that you can keep in the refrigerator for almost a year.
"*" See Kitchen Notes for more information or links to special ingredients.
Course:
Condiments
Yields: 1pints (approximate)
Recipe Author: MJ
Ingredients
5 to 6large lemons,cleaned and scrubbed
1/4cup(approximately) Kosher salt or sea salt
1.5pintsteralized jar with rubber gasket or non-metal lid(The acid in the lemon corrodes metal over time)
Instructions
Cut about ¼” of the ends off of 4 lemons. Discard the stem end. Use the other end pieces to fill in the holes as you’re packing the lemons.
Cut 4 of the lemons in half crosswise. For each half (starting with the cut side) cut into quarters, being careful not to cut all of the way through the base. Stop about ¼” from the base.
Pour about ½ tsp. (~2.5 grams) salt into each of the “half” cuts and pack into jar.
Continue this process with 4 of the lemons, packing lemons tight, squeezing some of the juice out of the lemons as you pack them. You should be able to get 4 to 5 lemons in the jar. To fill gaps in the jar you can use quarter pieces and end pieces.
Once the jar is full, tap the bottom of the jar to dislodge the air bubbles.
If the amount of lemon juice is below the top of the packed lemons, juice one of the extra lemons. Add enough juice to the jar to cover the lemons or about ½” (1.25 cm) from the top of the jar. Wipe off the rim of the jar with a clean damp cloth and close the lid. (At this point, I rinse the closed jar under running water to remove any salt that may be on the outside of the jar.)
Set in cool space for 4 weeks. Shake the jar everyday to redistribute the salt through the juice. If you trust the seal, you can turn the jar upside down after a couple of weeks for an hour or so.
Place in refrigerator after 4 weeks. These lemons will keep up to a year (and probably longer, but I never have any left after a year).