Preserved Lemons

Salted lemons are a delicious ingredient in many dishes.  Making them is a great way to use an abundance of lemons.  You can add them to stews, soups and braises, or use them in dressings and salsas.  They are most famous as a staple in Moroccan cooking.  All you need are lemons, salt and something to put them in.  The most important ingredient is time.  Preserved lemons take about a month to mature.  

what you'll need:

lemons, two dozen

salt, about two cups

crock or mason jar (64 oz. pictured)

time

Figure out how many lemons you can fit in the jar.  We fit nine of them in the half gallon jar.  Now make a cross-cut through the top of each lemon going almost to the stem end but stopping before you get there, so the lemon is still intact.  Next, open up the lemon and start pouring in salt.  Jam the salt in, it will look like a lot but don't be skimpy, they're gonna be sitting around a while and you don't want them to spoil.   

Drop them into the jar.  You can use the back of a wooden spoon to help them sit so the salt doesn't pour out.  Cram as many as you can into the jar.  

Take the rest of the lemons and juice them.  The lemon juice and salt will help you figure out all the places you cut yourself earlier.  

 Pour the fresh squeeze juice into the jar until all the lemons are completely covered.  

Fit the cap on finger tight.  Leave it around with your other weird fermenting projects.  

In a few weeks taste one of them.  Remove it from the brine.   Thinly slice the peel.  You will be amazed how they have transformed.  Use them sparingly.  They are strong in flavor and precious.