Preserving Lemons

If you love the flavor of lemons you need to learn how to preserve them. It will only take you about 15 minutes to put up a couple of jars and they will last a year in your pantry.  I bought a 2 pound bag on sale this week and it made 2 pints of preserved lemons. Now I will always have lemons on hand for beverages or baked items, like muffins, pies and cakes. Also think pasta, pizza, roasted chicken .... I could go on.

Lemon Dressing Recipe
1 tsp. chopped preserved lemon rind
1 T. olive oil
2 T. wine vinegar ( any type will work)
Touch of honey to taste
1 T. water
1/4 tsp guar gum for thickening to give it a bit of body

This is enough for one large plate of greens. You can vary the amount of ingredients as you like. It has a pleasant lemon taste just enough to dress the salad.

How to Preserve Lemons
Ingredients:
2 lbs. of lemons (6 large lemons...used about 5 plus)
1/2 c. Kosher Salt  (1/2 c. Kosher salt is not the same as 1/2 c. table salt)
1/2 c. Sugar

Equipment:
2 pint canning jars or 1 quart
Clean and sterilize your jars (put thru a hot dishwasher or boil for 2 minutes)

Directions:

• Start by washing your lemons with warm water, make sure the peels are clean because you will be eating them. Organic lemons are preferred.
• Slice the lemons thinly 1/8 - 1/4 inch thick
• Remove the seeds from the slices
• Mix the kosher salt and sugar in a bowl
• Sprinkle the bottom of the jar with the sugar/salt mixture
• Dip each lemon slice into the sugar/salt mixture and put into the jar
• Lay each slice on top of each other and press down. Fill the whole jar
  

• Press down the lemons as you are filling the jar. The sugar/salt mixture will pull the liquid out of the lemons and fill the jar. If there is not enough liquid to cover the sliced lemons, squeeze some fresh lemon juice on top. The lemons need to be under the liquid.
  
• Leave on the counter 3 days, check to make sure lemons are submerged. Top off as needed.
  
• This can go into the pantry, it will keep for up to a year. I'm sure you will use it before then. You may also keep the jars in the fridge.

Comments

1. There are many recipes and techniques to preserving lemons. Most do not cut the lemons into slices. While this is a bit easier when making them, it's nice to have them already sliced when using them. Also, most recipes use only salt in the recipe, I found that to be fine for savory dishes but, for a more universal recipe that you can use in sweet baked items and savory dishes, I prefer the salt/sugar combination.
   
2. Some of the recipes added herbs to the mixture like a sprig or rosemary or a couple of sprigs of thyme and  even a hot dried pepper to the curing lemons. Other additions noted were a cinnamon stick, whole cloves, whole cardamon seeds even a pinch of turmeric.
   
3. One suggestion that I found helpful was to take the preserved lemons, (liquid and all) and chop it up with a food processor. This will give you a paste that you can use when cooking. I did this with one on my jars and it's easier when I use it for my tea in the morning. You only need about 1/4 tsp. of the lemon paste per cup to get a nice lemon flavor. I am very sensitive to salt, but what I have found is the lemon flavor is so strong that you use very little of the paste and there is not salt taste.
4. When using the sliced lemons remove the membrane and use only the peel. Wash the peel to remove some of the salt. You will notice the lemon peel is almost creamy in texture. Chop it up and add to the dish. Taste as you go so you will know how much to add.
   

I hope you enjoy!
Tamara