Preserved lemon

When lemon season is upon us, it it time to make preserved lemon. This versatile accompaniment is great with tagines, in the cavity of a roasting chicken, or in a grain salad. It is strong in flavour, so only use a small amount. A great gift for friends at Christmas too, but only make small jars as you only use it in small amounts. There’s no time like the present, so get preserving.

PRESERVED LEMON

Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 10 mins + preserving time of 1 month
Makes: Almost a year’s worth of salads

Ingredients

• 8 lemons
• 200g / 7oz coarse salt
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 2 whole cloves
• 2 bay leaves (fresh)
• 2 sterilised jars

Method

1. Wash and dry lemons.
2. Juice half of the lemons and set juice aside.
3. Cut lemons (including already juiced ones) into quarters or eighths, place in a bowl and mix with the salt.
4. Press lemons into two sterilised jars with the skin facing outwards.
5. Put a cinnamon stick, clove and bay leaf into each jar.
6. Press the lemons down as much as you can, pour over lemon juice, and add a little more salt into the jars.
7. Seal the jars with lids and leave in the pantry or a dark place for at least a month before you use them. Check the jars after a week as you may need to add a bit more salt to keep the lemons covered. They can go mouldy if not covered.
8. Before using, remove the portion you are using from the jar, rinse in cold water then cut away the flesh. Use the skin and pith sparingly on salads, with tagines or inside the cavity of a chicken you are roasting.

TIP
Sterilise clean jars and lids by tipping boiling water over them, then drying them in a low oven (120ºC/).

Get the PlanBuyCook meal planning app, which includes three tasty tagines that you can double and freeze. Available for iPhone and iPad here.