Preserved Lemons

Equipment

• Clean 1-quart jar with nonreactive lid
• Chef's knife
• Citrus juicer
• Fermentation weight

Instructions

1. 1

   Scrub the lemons under cool running water and dry them. Trim a thin slice from each tip. Cut 6 lemons lengthwise into quarters while leaving the quarters attached at the stem end.

   ⏱ 10 min

2. 2

   Sprinkle salt inside each lemon, close it, and pack it firmly into the clean jar. Add more salt between layers and press to release juice.

   ⏱ 8 min

3. 3

   Juice the remaining 2 lemons into the jar. Add a fermentation weight so the lemons remain completely submerged in salty lemon juice. If needed, squeeze an additional clean lemon to cover them rather than adding water.

   ⏱ 5 min

4. 4

   Cover and cure in the refrigerator for 4 weeks, turning the sealed jar every few days to redistribute the salt. This salt cure is not canned and is not shelf stable, so keep it refrigerated throughout.

   ⏱ 40320 min

5. 5

   Discard the entire jar without tasting if you see fuzzy or colored mold, smell a rotten odor, or find the lemons are not submerged. A clean citrus aroma and softened rind are expected.

   ⏱ 1 min

6. 6

   To use, remove a lemon quarter with a clean utensil, rinse off excess salt, and discard the seedy pulp. Finely slice or mince the softened rind. Keep the remaining lemons submerged and refrigerated, and use within 6 months.

   ⏱ 3 min