Preserved Lemons

Tonight in my Preserving and Canning class at George Brown we made preserved lemons!

Here is the modified version of the recipe we used in class.

Ingredients
12 - Organic Unwaxed Lemons (use Meyer Lemons when in season)
1/4 to 1/3 cup - Unrefined Sea Salt OR 1/2 to 3/4 cup - Kosher Salt

Directions

1. Scrub the lemons under running water, then dry. Trim the ends if necessary.
2. Standing a lemon on the stem side, cut into 4-6 wedges. Remove seeds over a bowl to collect the juice.
3. Put the salt in a bowl. Place a few lemon wedges in a sterilized jar, pressing to release the juice. Layer with 1 tsp of salt, alternating layers of lemons with salt.
4. Press the lemons as you make the layers, ensuring that they are covered with the brine (salt and lemon juice). Add fresh lemon juice to cover.
5. Cover the jar with a non-metallic lid and ferment at room temperature for 3 to 4 weeks. The lemons will keep in this mixture for up to a year.

Notes: The brine can be used in salad dressings, added to tangines or couscous.
To use the preserved lemons, remove lemon from jar with a clean utensil and rinse well under cold water. Cut away the pulp from each quarter. Use the skin as instructed in your recipe. The pulp can be finely chopped or pureed and mixed with soft butter.
If a white film forms on the preserved lemons in the jar, just rinse off before using.