Our local budget grocery store had 10 pounds bags of lemons for $2 recently. So I bought them. That is a lot of lemons even for a family that uses a lot of lemons. I pulled out my Nicole Rucker Dappled cookbook and found this recipe for preserved lemons.
She writes that her favorite use for them is in beans. I expect we will have a lot of experimentation with them in a few weeks.
Ingredients:
- 6-8 Meyer lemons (or regular lemons if you can’t find them)
- 1 C fine sea salt
- 3 T raw Turbinado sugar,
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 2 dried chilies de Arbol
- 1 t whole black peppercorns
- 1/2 t coriander seeds
- 1/2 t fennel seeds
Directions:
Cut the end off the lemons then quarter them about 3/4 of the way down so the bottoms are still intact.
In large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients. Pack all the salt mixture between the lemon crack and press everything together with a wooden spoon in a mason jar. The juices from the lemons should cover all the lemons. Seal tightly then keep on the counter for a week then refrigerate for another three weeks or more. We plan to use in pasta dishes, salad, couscous and more.
