How to make Preserved Lemons

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This is a great product to have in your pantry as they will lift any dish from boring to sensational with as little as half a teaspoon.

I love to push it under the skin of a whole chicken for roasting, or add a little to my salad dressing, tagine or curry or a finishing touch to a soup.

Stock up on lemons whilst they are plentiful in the markets or ask friends with trees for any excess. You can also preserve limes in the same manner. Remember to use the skin only, not the flesh when adding to dishes.

Ensure you use plastic-lidded jars or plastic-lined lids, as metal lids may corrode.

1.5 kg thin skinned lemons
350g salt
1 tbs coriander seeds, crushed
2 cinnamon sticks, broken in half
2 lemon or bay leaves
¼ cup of honey
1 cup of lemon juice
3 cups warm water

Make sure you wash the lemons well to remove any wax, then cut them into quarters to the last cm so they stay as a whole piece.

Place in a freezer bag and freeze for 24 hours*.

Remove from freezer, allow to defrost then add a heaped teaspoon of salt and some crushed coriander seeds into the centre of each lemon.

Place them into sterilized jars, sprinkling each layer with salt as you go.

Slide cinnamon sticks and leaves into the jar and add blended honey, juice and warm water, making sure the lemons are covered or they will go mouldy.

Store in a cool dark place for a month before using.

*If you don’t freeze the lemons first you will need to preserve them for 3 months before they will be ready.

Thanks to Greg and Lucy Malouf for this recipe.