How to Make Preserved Lemons
Having preserved lemons in your kitchen is really useful. Lemons are used in dozens of recipes and one doesn’t have to buy them regularly, if they are preserved There are hardly any ingredients needed to preserve the lemons. They are picked only in salt and their own juice.
The procedure is not tough at all. However, the lemons take some time to be ready for use. You will have to wait for at least 2-3 weeks before they can be used into recipes.
Prep time: 15-20 min
Cook time: Nil
Refregrator time: 3 weeks
Total time: 3 weeks and about 20 min
Yield: 1 jar
Utensils: Knife, Jar, Refrigerator, Spoon and Kitchen Papers.
Ingredients:
Meyer lemons*, scrubbed very clean: 8-10
Kosher salt, more if needed: 1/2 cup
Extra fresh squeezed lemon juice, if required
Instructions
-
1
Although there are different kinds of lemons available in the market, you should use Meyer lemons, as they are sweater than the usual Eureka lemons. Furthermore, their skin is slightly thinner. Once you have bought them, make sure they are washed properly. It is extremely important, because you will be using their skin in your recipes. After washing, dry the lemons with the help of a neat kitchen towel.
-
2
Now. take a sharp knife and cut the lemon into four pieces. There are several ways of cutting the lemons, but splitting them into quarters is the best one.
There is no need to separate the four pieces. For this, don’t slice them off completely from the bottom. This will help you pack the salt within the lemon. With the help of both hands, open the lemon from the top, making sure the base does not break. -
3
It is the time to salt the lemons. Use a spoon and add salt right to the middle of the lemon. A lot of people use copious amounts of salt, but a couple of tablespoons of kosher salt will be enough for each lemon. Anything more than that will really spoil the taste.
-
4
Now, contain the lemons. Use a medium size sterile jar, and put in as many lemons as you want. You may sprinkle a little salt on top of them.
-
5
Extract juice from more lemons. For a medium jar, you require at least one and a half cups of lemon juice. Add the juice to the jar.
-
6
Put the jar in the refrigerator for 2-3 weeks. You can remove the lid after every 3-4 days to give the lemons some air. When the lemons are ready, cut them into any shape you want.
