Are you in lemon overload right now? We are so fortunate to live on the Central Coast of California where citrus trees are abundant and well suited to our climate. Lemons are often seen carpeting neighborhood yards while the trees hang heavy with fruit. Juicing the lemons and freezing for other uses is one way to use them, but I have another suggestion. Try preserving them! These lemons are not canned in the modern sense of preserving, but they are preserved in salt instead. Preserved lemons are used as a flavoring in so many dishes. They are traditionally found in Moroccan and Middle Eastern cuisines but can be used in something as simple as steamed rice or oven baked chicken to add a bit of brightness to an otherwise common dish.
Photo credit: Dayna Ravalin
Start by washing your lemons well in warm water and your hands too! I would use a vegetable brush to make sure and remove all dirt and debris from the peel. If you are purchasing lemons instead of using them from your backyard tree, make sure and find some that have not been waxed if possible.
I use a quart mason jar to hold my preserved lemons. You could make half the recipe and use a pint jar instead. Either size will require you to sterilize your container. Submerge it in a pot of water and boil for 10 minutes. Keep the jar in the hot water until you are ready to use it.
After washing the lemons, remove about 1/8-¼ inch from the stem end of half the lemons. Cut the lemons into quarter sections, but don't cut all the way through the ends. You will be creating a “lemon flower”.
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Squeeze the remaining lemons for their juice only.
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I like to strain my juice to remove the extra seeds and pulp, but this step isn't mandatory.
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For a quart size jar, you will need about 1-1 ½ c. of fresh squeezed juice.
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Add about 1 Tbsp. of canning or pickling salt into the bottom of your sterilized jar.
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Sprinkle about a tablespoon of salt inside each of your “lemon flowers”. I would recommend doing this over a bowl to catch the excess. Pack about half of your “lemon flowers” into the jar.
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Some recipes call for adding a variety of dried spices. You don't have to use any spices. You can just use the lemons and salt allowing the flavor to be just lemon. I enjoy adding a few bay leaves, some peppercorns (about a teaspoon), and cinnamon sticks. These spices lend themselves to a more traditional flavor. Add your spices when you have packed about half of your lemons into the jar.
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Continue to add the remaining “lemon flowers” which you have packed with salt. You may need to use a wooden pestle or a wooden spoon to tamp down the lemons as you go. Add the remaining salt spilled into your bowl when packing the lemons. Add the lemon juice slowly allowing for the juice to permeate and trickle down and around your lemons. Leave ½ headspace at the top of your jar.
Photo credit: Dayna Ravalin
Lid your jar and turn it carefully rotate it up and down a few times. (Do this over a bowl or sinks just in case it leaks a little.) Store at room temperature in a dark cool cupboard for several days up to 2 weeks. After this time, move your jar into the refrigerator. The preserved lemons will keep for up to 6 months in the refrigerator.
To use in your recipes, remove the amount of lemon you would like and rinse well under running water removing the pulp. You will only use the rind in your dishes. Simply slice the rinsed rind in thin slivers and add as desired. Here is a recipe for basic preserved lemons. https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/how_to_make_preserved_lemons/#recipe1815
In place of making “lemon flowers” you can cut your lemons into quarters and pack alternating layers with the salt and then add the lemon juice as usual.
Once you have made and used preserved lemons, you will always want to have a jar of them in the refrigerator!
Author - Master Food Preserver Program Coordinator