Tangy, silky and salty, this traditional Mediterranean condiment is great with fish, seafood, poultry and meats. It take 30 days to make and it’s well worth the wait.
Ready the pint sterilized jar. Trim the end knob off of the lemons. Slice the lemons into quarters from top to bottom, about ¾ of the way though. Pick out any visible seeds.
Pour 2-3 teaspoons of salt into the center of one lemon and place the lemon into the jar. Do the same with the rest of the lemons, pushing them down into the jar tightly, until the jar will hold no more lemons. The number of lemons used will depend on the size of the lemons. Pour any extra salt into the top of the jar.
Fill the jar until full with lemon juice. Cap the jar, label and date. Set it on the kitchen counter for 30 days. Turn the jar daily to mix the brine. After 30 days the lemons are ready to use.
To use, rinse off excess salt, pick out any seeds and enjoy, especially the peel. Dice, puree or chop into strips and add to many dishes. Use less salt in whatever recipe they are going into, and adjust the salt to your taste preference as needed.
Notes
Preserved lemons will keep unrefrigerated for 6 months and up to a year refrigerated. I refrigerate mine for safety. Note - The nutrition calculation is not accurate because some of the salt is rinsed off before using preserved lemons, and it is hard to know how many servings you will get out of each jar. 12, 16 or more.