How To...Preserve Lemons!

What to do with leftover lemons, a mason jar, and a ton of salt? Make homemade preserved lemons, of course! 

A few weeks ago, I went to the OC Artisan Food & Arts Festival in Irvine and while walking around admiring all the delicious food and drinks, I noticed that there was a demonstration on lemons going on. I thought, "Really? A whole hour dedicated to lemons?" But I was soon convinced that a demonstration on lemons could easily go on for hours on end. Why? Because lemons are so versatile! They can be used in sweet and savory dishes and they can add a light, summery flavor to almost anything!

I walked up just as she busted out the mason jar (for some reason, I have this strange obsession with mason jars so naturally, I was all ears) and began talking about preserving lemons. I had never heard of such a thing and to be quite honest, the thought of it kind of grossed me out. However, I continued to listen and found out that all you need is a bunch of lemons, a ton of salt, a canning jar that can hold all of it and about 2-4 weeks to spare! Totally loving the fact that there are only 3 components to this recipe, any past negative thoughts quickly exited my mind and suddenly, it was the best idea ever.

I decided to give this idea whirl because ironically, I had about 5 left over lemons that were about to hit the hay.

First, make sure you sanitize the jar. It can be any kind of canning jar. I used an old glass jar that used to hold a simmer sauce.
*You can sanitize it by washing it in the dishwasher OR follow these instructions.

Then, wash your lemons. Don't get too rough with them because you want to save all that delicious lemony flavor but just enough to get rid of any dirt that is on the surface.
*FYI-you can use any kind of lemons. Meyer will give a sweeter flavor and the regular will be more tangy.

Next, quarter ONE of the lemons (but do not cut all the way through) and fill the center with salt. Place at the bottom of the jar. Then, cut all the other lemons in wedges, halves, whatever size/cut you want!

Layer alternating lemons and then salt...continue this until you have reached the top. If it seems like a lot of salt, that is because it is. But that's ok! Keep pouring it in. Once you have reached the top, push down on the lemony salty goodness until some juice is extracted.

Cover with the lid and put it in a place where it gets a decent amount of sunlight, but not enough for it to bake. Leave it there for 2-4 weeks! Every once in awhile, take the lid off and push the lemons down to get the most juice out of them.

Now that you have preserved lemons...what should you do with them? Well, here are a few recipes that your new creation can be used in:
Fettuccine with Preserved Lemons and Roasted Garlic...thanks to thekitchn.com
Moroccan Chicken with Preserved Lemons and Green Olives...thanks to epircurious.com
Preserved Lemon Cheesecake...thanks to yummly.com

Be sure to check back for some of Appetíto's own Preserved Lemon recipes! I still have about 2 weeks left on mine :)