Lemon trees are a staple in Kiwi gardens and every year, I see pleas from those with an over abundance. I make a couple of jar of preserved lemons with the excess. The recipe is simple to make and the jars are best kept in a dark place for a month or so. Once opened, they’re best kept in the fridge.
I am often asked how I then use the preserved lemons as they’re not a common ingredient in New Zealand. Apart from the Moroccan tagines where they are specified as an ingredient, I also have many other uses for them.
Chopped and stirrred through mayonnaise to lift a chicken salad, or a sandwich; tossed in butter before panfrying fish. They add a beautiful salty depth to winter casseroles and stews. Noodle salads, tossed through warm broccoli, I find preserved to be quite versatile once you think of them as a seasoning ingredient. What ways do you use preserved lemons?
Ingredients
- 5 x large lemons
- Table salt
Instructions
Wash then slice the lemons into quarters, or eights. Sprinkle a layer of salt in the bottom of a sterilised 1 litre preserving jar. Place a layer of lemon pieces on the bottom, flesh side down. Sprinkle more salt on top and then place another layer. Continue the pattern, pushing slightly on the lemons to release the juice. Halfway up the jar, tuck a wee bay leaf down the side of the jar. Continue with the layers until the jar is full. Put the lid on and leave for a few weeks to preserve in the salty juice mixture.
Once open, store in the fridge.
