A how-to recipe for easy preserved lemons, with just two ingredients - lemons and salt. Combine them, wait a week, and you have your own budget friendly salted lemons, perfect for South Asian and North African inspired recipes.
Sterilize a 1 litre (2 pint) flip-top glass jar or canning jar and set aside.
Wash the lemons well. Cut both ends off the lemon to make a flat surface on both ends. Avoid cutting so far that you go into the flesh.
5-6 large lemons
Set the lemons vertically onto a flat working surface. Quarter the lemons lengthwise, cutting an X, but don't go all the way through. Leave about 1 cm / 1/4 in. at the base of each lemon so that the wedges remain attached.
Add a tablespoon of salt into the middle of each lemon. Don't worry if some falls out the sides.
6 tablespoons coarse sea salt
Press the lemons, cut side up, into the prepared jar. Leave some space (about 2cm / 1/2 in.) below the lid. Place the jar into a cool, dark place for 24 hours.
After 24 hours, most or all of the salt should be dissolved and there should be a good amount of liquid in the bottom of the jar. Top the jar off with fresh lemon juice to about 2cm (1/2 in.) below the lid.
Lemon juice
Place the jar back into a cool, dark place for another seven days. Once the week is up, store the preserved lemons in the refrigerator for up to six months.
Notes
To use the lemons, take a quarter off and only use the rind. Rinse with fresh water to remove excess salt.