Preserved Lemons

[teegr]

Preserved Lemons


4 Tablespoons Kosher or Pickling Salt
16 small lemons (I get mine in a bulk bag cause they are cheaper) (I prefer small but you could use medium ones with some adjustment on jars
4 cups lemon juice (fresh is best)
Water
Olive oil

1.   Place 1 Tbsp coarse salt in bottom of each sterilized canning type jar (use what you have…small lemons work well with small mouth whereas mediums I would put in large mouth jars or decorative rubber gasket type jars.
2.   Scrub lemons well to get off any wax and check for soundness.
3.   Roll lemons back and forth pressing with hand to soften. Can put into microwave for a few seconds first to help if you wish.
4.   ½ from top cut through slits side to side leaving ½ bottom.  They should be basically quartered but with each end attached. 
5.   Squeeze lemons well over a sterilized bowl to get as much juice as possible out.
6.   Poke coarse salt into slits well.
7.   Place lemons in jar so they fit snuggly.  Just push them in…don’t worry if they are a little smooshed.  You can quarter lengthwise if you must…I think they are better whole initially
8.   Divide the juices collected from the lemons in each jar.  Add additional lemon juice to each to almost top, add a little boiling water if you run out of juice.
9.   Pour olive oil over top to form a layer on top of juice.  Lemons should be submerged under juice.
10.   Screw on sterile lids or fit boiled rubbers. 
11.   Let sit in warm place for 3 weeks…turn jars over once and sit them back in that 3 weeks.
12.   After 3 weeks store in refrigerator and will keep a long while after opening jar.  Scrape out and discard pulp…rinse rind/peel to remove any white film  and use in recipes. 
13.   I imagine a crock would work well if you have a lot of lemons…I would just take them out of crock at 3 weeks and put into sterile container and refrig them at that point with the canning juice.  I just prefer the look of lemons in a pretty canning jar.
14.   The canning juice is quite salty so it’s not so great for dishes unless your really watching.  I’ve added some to rice as well as an olive oil vinegarette and cuke salad.  But it is salty and quite tangy so be careful!
15.   Note:  Since I hate to waste the juice down the drain I would not have done this if it wasn’t for the fact I couldn’t find preserved lemons for many many years but I could get cheap lemons 1 a year …so it justified the cost of making it.

[DeejayDebi]

Hey Teegr -  I think I am missing something are these whole lemons being preserved or is it the rinds that are being preserved? Do they not get processed in a water bath or something?

[Majoofi]

I make preserved lemons as well. While most recipes talk about only using the rind I frequently use the whole thing when cooking with them. One of the things that happens is that they keep aging/softening. So after about six months the pulp becomes tricky to work with. So you're preserving the whole thing, but when you use them you often only use the softened rind which is bursting with flavor.

One of the things I do is to simply quarter the lemons and don't even leave the ends attached. This way I can squeeze many more into the jar and when I use them, it's easier to just take out what I need. I fill a dish with salt and roll each quarter in the salt before placing it in the jar. I also try to knock out any easily to get at seeds.

I've never tried the olive oil part of it. It never seemed necessary.

Buy more lemons than you think you will need because it takes a lot of juice to fill the jar.

This works great with Meyer lemons.

So when I use my last few segments I'll have almost a liter of golden amber lemon brine. I was thinking it would be an interesting experiment to use that to brine a cheese. Any thoughts on that?

[DeejayDebi]

So when I use my last few segments I'll have almost a liter of golden amber lemon brine. I was thinking it would be an interesting experiment to use that to brine a cheese. Any thoughts on that?

Thanks! I have never seen or heard of this it sounds interesting. As soon as I read this  though a lemon brine might be interesting for a mozzarella and cut into a nice green salad. I use lemon juice for salad dressing instead of vinegar. I find the flavor so much fresher tasting. I also use lemon instead of vinegar when making mayonaise quite often.

[teegr]

DeejayDebi:  I think  Majoofi answered your question better than I could.  I have to admit that I did add some of the mushy pulp to recipe once...but the recipe that prompted me to start making the preserved lemons indicated using the rind...which I love the texture of as well as taste.  I'm no expert in tagine recipes...but if I wanted to try the dish I had to find some preserved lemons or make them myself.  LOL

As far as processing...I too would have thought it would be best to process these as one would do pickles...but this recipe I was given and I was told NO...don't process or "hot pack" this recipe.  I understand that these preserved lemons are used mostly in middle eastern countries where they preserve alot with salt and fermentation. 

I did try quartering the lemons once and those babies tended to float a bit...which worried me...guess it is all in the packing.

Majoofi:  do you flip your jars on their lids at anytime?  I only know that the recipe said to do so...so I do so.  I orginally thought when I saw the recipe that the oil made a airtight seal during fermentation...but once I flipped the jars a week or so into process that kind of took that theory out of my mind.   LOL  Do you use the brine in any food recipes (vs cheese) recipes? 

[DeejayDebi]

I guess the lemon is the preservative. Thanks all!

[Majoofi]

I did try quartering the lemons once and those babies tended to float a bit...which worried me...guess it is all in the packing.

Majoofi:  do you flip your jars on their lids at anytime?  I only know that the recipe said to do so...so I do so.  I orginally thought when I saw the recipe that the oil made a airtight seal during fermentation...but once I flipped the jars a week or so into process that kind of took that theory out of my mind.   LOL  Do you use the brine in any food recipes (vs cheese) recipes?

teegr, I guess if you use the oil and all the lemons are below the surface than you wouldn't need to flip. So I think you'd need something to hold them down as there always seem to be floaters. So I do flip a few times and get some leakage, (I use a huge jar with a rubber ring and snap top) but just a few drops. Maybe I'm using the wrong jar. I think you're right that flipping kind of wrecks the oil seal theory unless it's not for a seal but just to somehow makes things yummier.

I haven't used the brine for anything yet. I only just thought about the other day.

Possibilities include brining cheese, salad dressing, cooking rice, steaming fish or vegetables. Making other pickles. Or reusing for more lemons.

[Lord Lycoperdon]

What do you use the preserved lemons for?

[Majoofi]

Mostly for Moroccan recipes. I use them in lentils chopped finely. I blend them into humus. I've blended them into a chicken marinade. I also chop a bit and add it to braised greens. Red chard is my fave. be careful not to use too much. it's easier to add more than to take it out.

[teegr]

I use them in a Chicken "Tangine" recipe which basically a braised dish(simmered) dish people eat with couscous. I love the lemon and the cinnamon taste of it all.  I personally eat mine with rice.  Never thought about using them with lentils...I love lentils so I'm going to try it.  Thanks.

[DeejayDebi]

I've never heard of Tangine. What is it?