i can’t possibly go through a citrus season without making a batch of these.
and you shouldn’t either.
i know everybody does the kind with just salt. maybe a bay leaf or a clove or something.
boring.
it may look like a lot of spices but they mellow during the preserving process.
the spices sink into the background and form the perfect basis for a salty citrus pop.
and you’re left with a preserved lemon that is going to send you over the moon,
and go perfectly with everything that you could possibly imagine using a preserved lemon for.
trust me. do this.
my favorite preserved lemons
adapted from world vegetarian
2 pounds organic lemons (preferably not meyer)
juice of 3 lemons
9 tablespoons sea salt
1/2 teaspoon seeds of brown cardamom (you can substitute green)
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 teaspoon cayenne (or paprika, or half of each)
16 whole cloves
1 & 1/2 tablespoons sugar (i use raw)
1 half gallon jar with screw cap, washed with hot soapy water & dried completely
1. wipe lemons with a damp cloth or paper towels, then wipe dry. leave to dry completely for an hour or so. to prevent mold there must be no water on lemons or inside of jar.
2. grind peppercorns, brown cardamom seeds and cloves in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle. note: only the seeds of the cardamom should be used. to extract seeds from pods, crush pods with end of pestle, discard shells.
stir the ground spices with salt, sugar and cayenne. i advise using the whole 1 teaspoon of cayenne even if you are not a heat lover as it is such a small amount, the lemons will not taste hot. but if you really do not like even the slightest bit of cayenne than go for the paprika. set aside.
3. thinly slice off the button end of each lemon. slice each lemon into quarters. if you are working with very large lemons you may want to cut some of the quarters in half again. remove seeds.
4. place quartered lemons in a large bowl, add spice mixture and toss to coat. fill 1/2 gallon jar with lemons, add the juice of 3 lemons and screw cap on.
5. place on a sunny windowsill for 4-6 weeks. shake once a day, or turn upside down, and right side up again once a day if you are confident the lid won’t leak. for the first couple of weeks unscrew the top gently every two days or so to release fermentation gases.
depending on how thick your lemon peels are, the preserved lemons will be ready to eat within 4 to 6 weeks. begin to test at the 4 week mark, lemons are ready when peels are still slightly firm but soft enough to sink your teeth into. when you deem them soft enough, store in the fridge for up to a year or more.
to eat, scoop out a lemon quarter or two, rinse under cold water and discard the lemon flesh. chop to use in soups, stews, tangines, salads, and all manner of bean or rise dishes. once you get a taste for these, there is nowhere you won’t want to use them.
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And immediately she thinks.. "Hmmm, maybe a TABLEspoon of cayenne."
well, i wasn't gonna say it…
These sound really interesting and I like the thought of adding them to bean and rice dishes. Love 'preferably not Meyer' and wonder why that is. I of course suffer from extreme Meyer lemon envy as we don't get them here and they are used a lot in US recipes, so suits me fine. Now I'm off to source brown cardamons….
I've done the standard lemons already this year, but this looks well worth trying. I agree with Gloria about the Mayer lemons – not something we see in the UK.
Making lemon curd this weekend, so will need to wait until the local shop gets a new delivery of lemons as I've cleaned them out (it is a small shop)..
gloria – i have and sometimes do preserve meyers. but the peels are thinner and they preserve down to a slightly different texture – softer. as the title says, "my favorite preserved lemons" – i prefer the toothsome bite of a regular ole' lemon peel.
ben – do try these, i don't even bother with the plain salted ones anymore. and ooh, lemon curd!
My Sister in Law in Arizona just sent a package of citrus up to us from out of her yard
Now I know what I want to do with the lemons! WOO HOO
I am taking a fermenting class next weekend! I am so excited as we RARELY have anything like that in our area and I am always so jealous when I see classes in far away places
Lemon Curd is on my list for today too! Made Shae's PAMAlade yesterday
I think I'll try these the next time I do a batch of spiced, salt-cured lemons. Like, next week. On your recommendation, I'll use my Eurekas instead of Meyers. I usually put cardamom in mine (and yes, bay leaf) but not all that other good stuff. I count on you and Kaela to teach me these good, spicy ways.
Wow! Just when you think preserved lemons are simply salt and lemons here you go taking them to another level! Can't wait to try these. Thanks!
I confess, I was a preserved lemon virgin until today, something about these just said MAKE ME!!!! It's been on my to do list and these looked perfect. They are now sitting expectantly in my window sill waiting for the good stuff to happen. Most of the salt went to the bottom of the jar when I poured in the extra lemon juice, problem? or normal?
katherine – you'll want to shake the jar once a day to make sure the salt is mixed in. if your jar can bear it turn it upside down every other day. either way, you do want to get any of the stubborn salt moving about.
brooke, shae, two by the sea – make 'em! and brooke, good luck with your fermenting class!
Yum! I'm just about to make these… Just wondering why they are left on sunny a window sill when so many other recipes stress that they should be left in a cool dark place?
michele – i've always made my preserved citrus by putting them in the sun. this is the way it is traditionally done in india. i can tell you that heat speeds up the fermentation process, and since it takes a number of weeks to make these, a little speed helps! also in india (traditionally) when they are softened to the makers liking, they are then put in a cool dark place – to slow down the fermentation process. i put them in the fridge when they are 'done' which halts the fermentation process so much that they will last for months and months, years even with not much change.
Thanks Tigress! I've just made a batch and they are happily sitting on my kitchen window sill. Heat is something we have plenty of here in Sydney so I'm looking forward to my first taste!
I discovered pickled lemons on your blog about a year ago, and I have never lived without them. They go in everything! I'm obsessed. Thank you.
I stumbled upon this recipe when trying to find ways to use my plethora of lemons. Thank you so much. I mixed up a batch and am eager to test the results in a few weeks.
I made these tonight, but after tossing the lemons in the salt/spice mixture there was a lot left in the bottom of the bowl. I wasn't sure if that should also go in the jar with the lemons so I put most of it in. Was this right?
Also, I've never used cardamom before and I must say it smelled so good! Can't wait until these are ready
I tried mine last night after they sat in my sunny San Francisco windowsill since Valentines' Day…
I made a version of this recipe:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Quick-Collard-Greens-with-Merguez-Sausage-and-Couscous-233925
I (of course) upped the called for spices and used puntarelle and 4505 lamb merguez sausage I got from the farmers market in the morning.
I stirred some of your spicy lemons in right before serving…WOW. The dish was very good on it's own, but these lovelies pushed it into another stratosphere. They added layers of crazy, sneaky, delicious tang and spice. My husband could not get over it.
Thank you for sharing, tigress!!!
I am going to make a couple of jars of your kumquats today! Stay tuned…
Thanks again,
Jeanine
jeanine – music to my ears! so glad you are enjoying preserved citrus! are you making the rajisthani or the sweet preserved kumquats?
anonymous – oh! just realized you had a question. yes, glad you put most of the salt in the jar. that was perfect! and wait until you taste the subtle hints of cardmamom on the finished lemons!
OMG. These are finally finished and I used some today for the first time – minced and added to a bulgur salad. Amazing flavor! So intense. I love them, thank you.
Marla
hi tigress! I've been wanting to preserve my own lemons for a while, and when I saw your recipe I was finally inspired to do it. Just set up a jar of these yesterday. The spice blend smelled fantastic; I am already raring to try them, though I have quite a while to go before they're ready. thanks for the inspiration — looking forward to trying more of your creative pickles and preserves!
nancy
Well Tigress
i am trying another of your fantastic recipes. Can't wait till they are ready. Keep roaring the way you do!!!
Thank you, Rhonda
I just had to write and tell you these are now my new favorite thing! Oh my! Chopped one into a raita, one into split pea soup (which I love cooked until thick), one into some basmati rice…Once again, you turned me on to something amazing. Thanks, Tigress,
so happy you like them! once you get into them, their use is endless!