The Future is Bright
When kissing, do you pucker up? Lips pinched and squeezed like a tulip, there’s a promise. Like gentle kisses, lemons present joy, pleasure, and a jolt to our systems.
There’s no flavor that I love as much as lemon. Whether it is in my favorite, tarte au citron or lemon tart, Greek soup, infusing a leg of lamb redolent of garlic and herbs, or vinaigrette, its contribution is unmistakable. Bright, fresh, sometimes bitter, mellowed by cooking, or packing a punch in its raw state.
Preserving, like planting trees, is having faith that there’s a future. Someone will enjoy it!
Weck Jars asked me to share this recipe with its community. With every jar purchased, a recipe card is nestled in the package.
Today is about that long-game lemon. We are preserving lemons like the cuisines of the Mediterranean do, especially those of North Africa. Salt and thyme are our friends here. In addition to boosting the lemony goodness, the salt extends the life of the fruit by months.
Preserved Lemons 🍋
1 (Weck 80) jar
Ingredients
6 lemons (preferably organic)
1 mandarin, clementine, or tangerine
~1/4 cup of kosher salt
6-8 black peppercorns
2 bay leaves
If you bake, especially in the winter, you might enjoy your fair share of candied or dried citrus in your desserts. We’re going savory and heading to North Africa, specifically Morocco, with these preserved lemons.
- Wash and scrub the lemons. This recipe will preserve ~3 lemons and juice of 3 more. We used the 80 size.
- Cut off both ends of three lemons so that they stand. While upright, slice down the lemon, stopping 1/2-1 inch from the bottom. Turn the lemon 180° and repeat slicing down to form an X. Each lemon will look like a flower with its quarters still attached at the base.
- Sprinkle 1t . all over the inside each of the three cut lemons. Add 1-2 t. salt to bottom of the jar. Place the cut lemons in the jar cut-side down, pressing as needed to fit. Sprinkle a couple of peppercorns after each lemon. Finish by sliding the bay leaves between the lemons and the jar. Sprinkle ~1 t. salt on top.
- Squeeze the juice from the reserved lemons over the sliced fruit until they are covered. Seal the jar and place in the refrigerator for three weeks before use. Enjoy for six months (if they last that long!)
Although we’re preserving the entire lemon, I suggest that you add just the peel near the end of your cooking to achieve that bright note. Bits of the pulp are a welcome addition to salads, vinaigrettes, marinades, and stews.
Now that you have a jar of preserved lemons, what are you making? Add to tagines (North African stews), grilled or roasted seafood, or your favorite salad. Rinsing before use wouldn’t be a bad idea given how salty they are.
