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Preserved Lemons

Source of Recipe


From "The Best Recipes in the World" by Mark Bittman






List of Ingredients



• About 3/4 cup kosher salt
  
• About 3 pounds lemons, preferably unwaxed, quartered lengthwise
  
• 1/2 cinnamon stick
  
• 2 or 3 cloves, to taste
  
• 1 star anise
  
• 2 or 3 black peppercorns
  
• 2 cardamom pods
  
• 1 bay leaf
  






Instructions



1. Sprinkle 1/4 inch of salt across the bottom of a sterilized 1-quart canning jar. Nestle a layer of quartered lemons into the bottom of the jar, sprinkle liberally with more salt, then repeat, adding the spices as you go. Stop when the jar is about three-quarters full, and squeeze the remaining lemons into the jar -- seeds and all -- so that the fruit is completely submerged in the lemon-juice-and-salt brine. (If you don't have enough lemons on hand, top the jar off with freshly squeezed juice the following day.)
   
   
2. Set the jar out on a counter and vigorously shake it once a day for 7 to 10 days -- it will start to bubble a little and the dried spices will swell back to their original size.
   
   
3. Transfer the jar to the refrigerator and let the lemons continue to cure for another week before using them (they will keep for at least 2 months in the refrigerator). When they have cured, unscrew the lid. After a moment, they should smell sweet and citrusy. An ammonia smell means they've gone wrong and should be discarded.
   
   Makes about 1 quart.