Preserved Fresh Lemons Recipes

PRESERVED LEMONS

Steps:

• Toss the lemon slices in kosher salt to coat, and place them into a sterile 2 quart glass jar. Pour in the lemon juice, cover tightly, and let stand on the counter for 1 week. Turn the jar over daily. At the end of the week, top the jar off with enough olive oil to cover the lemons. This will keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 months.
• To use, pull the lemon pulp from the peel, and scrape out the pith to leave only the yellow rind. Julienne, and add to your favorite dish for a lemony zing.

QUICK PRESERVED LEMONS

Steps:

• Trim the ends off the lemons. Slice each lemon into 8 wedges, removing any seeds as you go. Reserve as much of the juice as possible.
• Layer the lemon wedges in a wide-mouthed 16-ounce canning jar, covering each layer with salt. Pack the jar as tightly as possible, pressing down to release the lemons' juice as you go and leaving about 1/4 inch of headspace in the jar.
• Cover the wedges with the reserved lemon juice from the cutting board and the ends. If your lemons do not release a significant amount of juice, top off the jar with the juice of another lemon.
• Stash in the refrigerator for 4 days, then flip the jar over and age another 4 days before sampling. The peel should be nice and soft. Rinse before using.

PRESERVED LEMONS

Steps:

• Sterilize two 1.5-liter canning jars and two 1-liter canning jars with clamp-top lids (we used Fido brand) by boiling them and their rubber seals in water 10 minutes. Remove with tongs, and let cool.
• Cut stem end off each of 24 to 30 lemons. Make 5 or 6 slits (a little less than 1/2 inch deep) down the length of each lemon with a sharp paring knife, cutting to within 1/2 inch of bottom of lemon but not all the way through. Press top of lemon with your palm to flatten and cause slits to splay open. Gather and save any juices that accumulate on cutting board. Pack as much salt as possible (about 1 tablespoon) into each slit.
• Place about 1/2 cup salt in each 1.5-liter jar, and pour in a little lemon juice. Working with 1 jar at a time, add 1 lemon, and flatten as much as possible. Sprinkle in a little more salt, add another lemon and repeat process, adding more juice every so often. Repeat until you reach top of jar (each jar should take 12 to 15 lemons). Seal jars, and refrigerate 20 days, shaking and rotating once a day, before giving as a gift. Most but not all of the salt will dissolve.
• For remaining lemons, trim stem end of each lemon and cut in half lengthwise; cut each half into 8 pieces. For every 2 cups of lemon pieces, toss with 1/2 cup salt in a bowl. Fill two 1-liter jars with lemon mixture, pressing down as many lemon pieces as possible and causing them to exude some of their juice. Seal jars, and refrigerate at least 10 days, shaking and rotating once a day, before giving as gifts.

PRESERVED LEMONS

Steps:

• 1. If you wish to soften the peel, soak the lemons in lukewarm water for 3 days, changing the water daily.
• 2. Quarter the lemons from the top to within 1/2 inch of the bottom, sprinkle salt on the exposed flesh, then reshape the fruit.
• 3. Place 1 tablespoon salt on the bottom of the mason jar. Pack in the lemons and push them down, adding more salt, and the optional spices between layers. Press the lemons down to release their juices and to make room for the remaining lemons. (If the juice released from the squashed fruit does not cover them, add freshly squeezed lemon juice - not chemically produced lemon juice and not water.*) Leave some air space before sealing the jar.
• 4. Let the lemons ripen in a warm place, shaking the jar each day to distribute the salt and juice. Let ripen for 30 days. To use, rinse the lemons, as needed, under running water, removing and discarding the pulp, if desired - and there is no need to refrigerate after opening. Preserved lemons will keep up to a year, and the pickling juice can be used two or three times over the course of a year.
• According to the late Michael Field, the best way to extract the maximum amount of juice from a lemon is to boil it in water for 2 or 3 minutes and allow it to cool before squeezing.
• Paula Wolfert shares her tips with Epicurious:
• •Located on Morocco's Atlantic coast, south of Casablanca and north of Essaouira, the city of Safi is known for its seafood specialties. •To most closely approximate the flavor of Moroccan lemons, Wolfert recommends Meyer lemons for this recipe. This lemon/mandarin orange hybrid, in season in January and February, has yellow-orange flesh, a smooth rind, and a sweeter flavor than other lemons. •To sterilize a mason jar for the lemons, place it upside down in a steamer and steam for 10 minutes. Using tongs (wrap the ends in rubber bands for a better grip), remove the hot jar and dry it upside down on a paper towel-lined baking sheet in a warm oven. To sterilize the jar's top, boil it in water for 5 minutes, then remove with tongs. For more information on home canning, click here. •When you're ready to use a lemon, remove it with clean utensils to avoid contaminating the inside of the jar with bacteria. This way, the remaining contents of the jar will not need to be refrigerated.

QUICK PRESERVED LEMONS

Steps:

• Wash lemons in hot water (to remove any waxy coating); halve them lengthwise and slice very thinly crosswise. Combine with salt, sugar, and lemon juice. Cover with plastic wrap; let stand at room temperature 1 day, then transfer to a jar and store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

PRESERVED LEMONS

Steps:

• Soak the lemons for 2 days before preparing this recipe. Change the water twice.
• Remove the nut end of the lemon (the end that attaches the lemon to the tree). Slice a cross two-thirds of the way up the lemon. Fill with rock salt, don't be shy. Place into glass jar. Repeat this process until there are enough lemons compacted into the glass jar. Make sure there is enough room (about 1/4 of the jar) left at the top to accommodate any excess juices from the lemons. Secure tightly with the lid and place in a cool dark place for at least a month.
• Some people add 1/2 cup of fresh water to encourage the process of preservation, with the addition of olive oil to act as a sealant on top of the lemons. These last two processes are not necessary. Some people also add cinnamon sticks and cloves or black peppercorns, it entirely depends on your individual taste. Simple is best.
• The lemons will then be preserved and ready to use. They last for about 4 years.
• Remember not to use a jar with a metal lid as this will affect the preserving process and the metal may erode.

PRESERVED FRESH LEMONS

Steps:

• Soak the lemons in water for 2 to 3 days, changing the water 2 - 3 times, once a day.
• Pat the lemons dry and quarter them from the top to just above the bottom, about 1/2" - leaving them in one piece.
• Open up the lemons slightly, and sprinkle the sea salt onto the cut flesh - reshape them afterwards, so they look whole again.
• Place half the remaining salt in the bottom of a large Sterilising jar; I use 1.5 litre Kilner jar for this amount.
• Pack the lemons in and add the bay leaf and spices amongst the lemons.
• Add the remaining salt & press down to release the lemon juice from the lemons.
• Pour over the lemon juice - it's difficult to say exactly how much, but the last time I made these, I used about 500mls of unsweetened lemon juice; and in the past, I have used between 6 & 8 fresh lemons, squeezed - depending on the juiciness & size of lemons!
• Seal and leave for at least one month; these will last up to 6-10 months in ideal conditions, dark & cool.
• When you come to use the lemons, make sure you rinse them thoroughly beforehand.
• IDEAS: Chop them up finely and add to baked fish dishes; put a whole lemon in to the cavity of a chicken to roast - take it out when cooked, and chop up finely and add to any gravy or sauce; Cut into quarters and add to tagines & stews; finely dice a lemon and add to sauces and stocks for stews & crockpot recipes -- the list is endless!

PRESERVED LEMONS

Steps:

• Wash 10 of the lemons thoroughly and dry them completely (reserve the remaining 3 to 4 lemons for juicing). Cut off about 1/4 inch from the tip of the 10 lemons, then cut them almost all the way into quarters, keeping the ends attached.
• Mix the sugar and 3/4 cup salt in a small bowl. Gently open each quartered lemon, use a small spoon to fill it with the salt mixture and close it back up. Place the lemons and remaining salt mixture in a large bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours and up to overnight. After this time, the lemons will have released some of their juices and become squishy.
• Transfer the salted lemons and oregano if using to a sterilized quart glass jar with tight lid, pressing them tightly into the jar; you want as little space between the lemons as possible. Squeeze enough juice from the reserved lemons (about 3/4 cup) to fill the jar with lemon juice. You may need more or less juice, depending on the size of the lemons.
• Refrigerate the lemons, turning the jar upside down every few days and then placing it back in the refrigerator right-side up, until the rinds are soft, 3 to 4 weeks. You can keep the preserved lemons in the refrigerator for up to 6 months.

PRESERVED LEMONS RECIPE

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Cut off and discard the stem ends of the lemons.
• Cut each lemon into quarters lengthwise, but not all the way through. Leave enough rind at the end to hold the fruit together, about 1/2 inch. If you do go too far and a lemon falls into quarters, don't worry. It's still completely usable; it just won't look as pretty sitting in the jar.
• Over a large bowl to catch the juice, use your thumb to carefully squeeze out the juice from each lemon quarter. Go ahead and really smash the lemon to get all the juice out.
• Over the same large bowl into which you've squeezed the lemon juice, sprinkle the inside of each juiced lemon with kosher salt (about 1 tablespoon per lemon), working as much of the salt as possible into the lemon flesh as you go, packing the crevices with lots of salt.
• Close the lemons, and place them in a quart-size sterilized glass jar with a tight-fitting lid. Make sure the lemons are packed in tightly so that they can't move freely. Compress the lemons as you add them to the jar, squeezing them in to release more juices.
• Pour the salty juice you collected in the bowl over the jarred lemons. Add more lemon juice, if necessary, to cover the lemons completely. Then add a generous sprinkling of salt (about 1 teaspoon).
• Seal and set the jar on the kitchen counter or other cool, dark spot for 7 days, shaking and turning daily.
• After two or three days, open the jar and compress the lemons to release more juices. If you have room to add another lemon, do so. The idea here is that tightly packed lemons won't be able to rise to the surface. Do this for the first week until the jar is packed as full as possible and the lemons stay completely submerged in juice.
• Transfer the sealed jar to the refrigerator and leave undisturbed. The lemons will be preserved and ready to use once the rinds are very soft, in about five weeks. You can continue to preserve them longer if you like, up to a year or more.

CLASSIC PRESERVED LEMONS

Steps:

• Cut a 3-inch-long, 1/2-inch-deep slit around the equator of each lemon. Pack 1 to 2 teaspoons salt into each slit. Pour 1/2 of the remaining salt into an airtight glass jar that fits the lemons snugly.
• Pack lemons in jar. Pour lemon juice and the remaining salt over lemons. (The jar should be full.)
• Cover, and refrigerate for at least 1 month or up to 2 months.

PRESERVED LEMONS

Steps:

• Scrub 3 to 5 organic lemons, enough to fit snugly in a medium jar with a tight-fitting lid (have 2 to 4 more ready on the side). Slice each lemon from the top to within 1/2 inch of the bottom, almost cutting them into quarters but leaving them attached at one end. Rub kosher salt over the cut surfaces, then reshape the fruit. Cover the bottom of the jar with more kosher salt. Fit all the cut lemons in, breaking them apart if necessary. Sprinkle salt on each layer.
• Press the lemons down to release their juices. Add to the jar the peppercorns and bay leaves, then squeeze the additional lemons into the jar until juice covers everything.
• Close the jar and let ripen at cool room temperature, shaking the jar every day for 3 to 4 weeks, or until the rinds are tender to the bite. Then store it in the refrigerator.
• To use, remove a piece of lemon and rinse it. (Add more fresh lemons to the brine as you use them up.) The minced rind is added at the very end of cooking or used raw; the pulp can be added to a simmering pot.

SIMPLE PRESERVED LEMONS

Steps:

• Blanch 6 lemons in boiling water 5 minutes.
• When cool enough to handle, cut lemons into 8 wedges each and discard seeds.
• Toss with salt in a bowl and pack into jar.
• Squeeze enough juice from remaining lemons to measure 1 cup.
• Add enough juice to cover lemons and cover jar with lid.
• Let stand at room temperature, shaking gently once a day, 5 days.
• Add oil and chill.
• Preserved lemons keep, chilled, up to 1 year.