preserved lemons

Gift giving can be a beautiful thing and there’s a lot more opportunity now to buy consciously. If you are going to give a gift this Christmas, do so responsibly and take a look at our list of better gift ideas. Why not give the gift of homemade preserved lemons?

INGREDIENTS
Makes 1 large jar

5 lemons
1⁄2 cup coarse sea salt
3 lemons, juiced (or enough to submerge the lemons in liquid) 1⁄2 tsp coriander seed
2 cinnamon sticks
1-2 bay leaves
500ml glass jar

METHOD

Wash the lemons well, gently scrubbing the peel with a rough cloth. Make sure your hands are very clean. From the top end, cut one of the lemons into quarters, leaving an inch at one end so the quarters are still attached. Over a bowl, fill the cut with a heaped tablespoon of salt. Squeeze the lemon so the juices begin to excrete and drip into the bowl. Place lemon in a sterile jar. Repeat with remaining lemons.

To the jar, add the lemon juice and the salt that has collected in the bowl, along with the cinnamon, coriander seed and bay leaf. Squish the lemons down so that they are submerged under the juice (you may need a small weight to keep all the lemons under the liquid).

Leave for thirty days at room temperature, giving the jar a quick shake every couple of days. Store in the fridge after opening.