Recipe-less Preserved Lemons
Preserved lemons are one of those ingredients you can’t buy in the supermarket- technically you can, but they taste horrible compared to a homemade or artisanal batch. Usually used in North African dishes - well known in a lot of Morrocan cuisine, it brings a depth that cannot be found by using fresh lemon.
The thing with them is that once they’re ready they’ll happily sit in the fridge for a very very long time (years.) They’re incredibly easy to make, and require little to no technique. Its a ‘recipe-less’ recipe, so I give you the basic ingredients and you judge how much of each ingredient you need. Usually for a big lemon I use a very generous amount of salt per fruit (i would say a palm-full,) if its a small/medium lemon, a few tbsps of salt could do the trick.
My mum made them for years, and never used any measurements. They always came out great, and I used her guidance to make these. I honestly believe that any batch will be fine, as long as sea salt is used- no added iodine or caking agents, check the ingredients list! When you’re adding the salt to the lemons, you want it to be coated in salt- no sparse areas, so as long as that happens it’ll be fine. The juice that comes out after squishing should be sour and salty, that will help in the preservation (too little salt, and it may spoil.)
Ingredients
Un-waxed lemons
Sea Salt
Sterilised Air-tight Jar
Method
1. Bring a pot of water to a boil, and add the lemons, boil for 1-2 mins. You’re not looking to soften the fruit, just boil it to thoroughly clean it’s surface. Drain, and let cool.
2. Make quarter cuts into the lemon, making sure to not cut completely through the fruit. Pack a palm-full of salt in each lemon, squishing the lemon back together to its natural shape - get some salt on the outside as well.
3. Place the lemon in the jar, and continue to do this with the rest.
4. Once all the lemons are in the jar, press down onto them, so they release some of their juices. Add a generous pinch of salt in the jar, squish again. If you have a fermentation weight, feel free to place on top.
5. Close the jar and let it sit for at least 1 month in a cool, dark place. The first week, with clean hands, squish the lemons down to release more juice. You want enough juice to cover the lemons. Give the jar a turn every week to redistribute the salt.
The end product should be softer than a lemon, less bitter and punchy. Place in the fridge when ready, they last a very very long time. Dispose if any mould or abnormal coloured growths happen.