Preserved lemons

These take about 10mins to do, and 1 month to pickle.  If you've got any cuts on your hands, it hurts like hell!

They will then last for ages, and can be used for sauces, stews, salads etc.

You can add spices like corriander seeds, bayleaves, cinnamon sticks etc to the jar for extra flavouring.  I don't because it keeps them more versatile without. You can always add those flavours directly to a dish at a later stage.

The number of lemons you use obviously depends on the size of your jars...  Just put the whole lemons in one at a time, & keep squeezing them in.  The batch I've just made only used about 7.  A little goes a long way.

CLICK BELOW FOR INSTRUCTIONS:


 THE SIMPLE WAY

1. Scrub you lemons thoroughly under warm water & sterilize a jar.  You can do this by cleaning really well & putting it in an oven at 140C for a few minutes.
2. Cut each lemon into lengthways quaters, still attached at one end.
3. Put a couple of tablespoons of salt in the bottom of the jar.
4. Put 1 teaspoon of salt into the middle of each lemon & squeeze them hard into the jar.  Sprinkle a little more salt over the lemons each time you put a new one in.
5. When the jar is rammed full, top up the level of the liquid inside so that it covers the lemons.  Ideally use lemon juice.  If not, you can use very salty water.
6. Seal the jar & leave for at least a month.  Turn it upside down once a day.

THE JOHN TORODE WAY

1. Scrub you lemons thoroughly under warm water & sterilize a jar.  You can do this by cleaning really well & putting it in an oven at 140C for a few minutes.
2. Make some brine, by dissolving salt in boiling water at a ratio of 1:5.  ie. 1 cup salt to 5 cups water.
   
3. Blanch each lemon in the brine for 30secs, then remove and cool.
4. Cut each lemon into lengthways quaters, still attached at one end.
5. Put a couple of tablespoons of salt in the bottom of the jar.
6. Put 1 teaspoon of salt into the middle of each lemon & squeeze them hard into the jar.  Sprinkle a little more salt over the lemons each time you put a new one in.
7. When the jar is rammed full, top up the level of the liquid inside with the brine so that it covers the lemons.
8. Seal the jar & leave for at least a month.  Turn it upside down once a day.

The second way, keeps the lemons from going brown as they pickle. It doesn't matter much if they are going to be cooked in a stew at the end.

I've got a few weeks until my next batch is ready.  I'm going to start planning some feasts!  Cool.