Receta Preserved Lemons...
The mister and I made our weekly late Saturday night run to the grocery store and as I was putting eggs, butter and yogurt into the cart I asked him if he could see where the Ricotta cheese was...he pointed down the aisle and said, "The cheese is down there." A lady, pushing her cart by us, started to laugh and said, "I thought you said, "Jesus is over there!" To which the mister replied, "Oh noooooo, I'm not ready to see Jesus just yet!" It was pretty funny...the thought of the mister meeting Jesus over a carton of Ricotta - or anywhere for that matter, makes Lazarus being raised from the dead seem like a mini-miracle!
Why preserve lemons? Because they are delicious in salads, they can be chopped and sliced and sprinkled on top for extra flavor or added into side dishes like rice, risotto or couscous or in chicken dishes...in anything you would normally use lemons in, see below for a few more ideas. They taste like muted lemons without any of the sour tang - they have a clean taste, so they add a very nice undertone to whatever dish you put them in. Adding a bit of preserved lemon to steamed veggies is going to rock your boring-veggie-eating-world! And because this time of year lemons are cheap - two for a buck! And because they are beautiful stuffed into jars sitting on the counter!
This COULD NOT be EASIER!! No processing is involved and you only need TWO ingredients...lemons and salt. The salt is the preservative...keeping the lemons fresh without their usual tartness, so they are truly edible, skins and all! There are many recipes for Preserved Lemons on the internet, most of them call for adding spices, like a cinnamon stick, peppercorns, bay leaves, coriander seeds, etc., but I prefer to keep them simple - that way I can add just the lemon flavor to my recipes - but if you want to add spices, go ahead!
After scrubbing the lemons clean, they are quartered, but not cut all the way through because it's easier to salt the lemons this way, in one big piece, than many little pieces. Keep them in a bowl so the juices accumulate in the bottom - you'll want the juice. When packed into clean jars, more salt is added and then the lids are put on - that's it. Except for the curing time...which is thirty days...but during those thirty days you can plan how to use them and smile every time you see them on your counter because they're so pretty!
(This above picture was taken right after the lemons were put into jars - you'll notice that there is very little juice in the jars...so the extra lemon juice has not been added yet.)
Preserved Lemons - Adapted (quite heavily) from Edible Seattle
8 lemons plus a few more for adding juice, if needed. (If you use Meyer lemons use 12 as they are not as big as Eureka lemons. I used Eureka lemons because that's what my store carries...Meyer lemons are much sweeter so when they're available I'll make some with them as well.)
2 cups salt
jars and lids
Put one tablespoon of the salt into the bottom of the jar. Cut the lemons into quarter sections but don't cut all the way through. Salt inside each lemon, rubbing salt on all sides. Place lemons into a large bowl, squeezing just a bit to release some of the juices. When lemons are all liberally salted, separate each lemon into four separate sections. Place sections into jars, pressing down as you go, packing tightly. Sprinkle a little more salt on top. Put on lids. Allow jars to sit on counter top for 24 hours, turning upside down occasionally to distribute the salt. After 24 hours, if all of the lemons are not completely covered in their own juices, open jars and add lemon juice, with the extra lemons, until lemons are totally submerged. Leave a bit of headroom in the jar and then put the lids back on. Allow to sit, in a draft free, not in sun, room temperature place, for thirty days, turning occasionally.
To use the lemons, first rinse them and then remove the pulp (you can't really rinse all of the salt out of the pulp so if you want to use the pulp then it's best kept for stews or sauces but be sure to adjust the salt in the recipe accordingly, as they will add saltiness). Slice the rinds and use with your favorite lemon dishes or as garnishes to cakes and pies...you are going to love them! The lemons do not need to be refrigerated while curing, but after they are cured and completely soft, store them in the refrigerator and use within six months. Makes 8 cups.
(In the picture above the lemons have been sitting on the counter for about 18 hours, notice that the jars are now almost filled with juice - in a few more hours I'll add a little lemon juice to the jars so the lemons are completely submerged...then the waiting begins!)
P.S. A jar of Preserved Lemons makes a wonderful gift for a cook/baker!
P.S.S. Here are a few of my favorite recipes that will benefit from Preserved Lemons, either by adding them into the recipe or using them as a garnish on top...and this is only a fraction of my lemon recipes!! As you can tell, we like lemon around here!
- Lemon Mousse Cake
- Lemon Ricotta Cake
- Lemon Pound Cake
- Meyer Lemon Cream Crepe Cake
- Meyer Lemon and Tarragon Vinaigrette
- Roasted Lemon Garlic Chicken
- Carrot Soup with Ginger and Lemon
- Crock-pot Lemon Chicken
One more little tip about lemons...my dear friend Bev wrote to say you can freeze lemon slices to use in iced tea or Diet Coke! Wash lemons and slice thinly. Lay them flat on a cookie sheet and freeze. Once frozen they can be put into a plastic bag and when you need a lemon slice or two just remove them and plop into your drink!
Thanks Bev - I'm going to do this!
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