Nothing Plain about these Preserved Lemons

I'm not sure why I don't make preserved lemons more often. They are so simple to make. They also add something incredible to a heavily spiced dish. Have you ever tried them? They take about 10 minutes to prep. And they are fairly flexible as well. But, then, you have to be patient for about a month. That's the hardest part. I can't wait to open these up in April.

I was inspired by my bounty of lemons from Serendipity Farms. Farmer Jamie is now listing goods on her virtual farm stand page on Facebook. I love it because I can see what she has and order if I want the goods, or not if I don't. More often than not, I type "I'm in!" beneath her photo.

While I did make 2 quarts, I am giving you the procedure for 1 quart jar. With only four ingredients, these might seem plain and simple. They are simple, but there's nothing plain about these preserved lemons. They pack quite a punch!

Ingredients makes 1 quart jar

• 8 to 10 organic lemons (you want to be sure that you are using organic lemons since you'll be eating the peel) 
• 2 Tablespoon + 8 to 10 teaspoons sea salt
• water
• olive oil

Procedure

The number of lemons that will fit into your jars will vary, depending on the size of your lemons. I squeezed 9 or 10 into this batch. Place 2 T salt in the bottom of the jar.

Trim the ends off each lemon. Quarter each lemon, slicing them down just over three-quarters of the way down. You want to leave the lemons attached at one end.

Put a 1/2 teaspoon of salt into the cavity of each lemon. Squeeze the lemon slices closed again.

Put a lemon in the jar, cut-side up. Firmly press down to squeeze out the lemon juice. Put a 1/2 t salt on top of the lemon.

Repeat until the jar is full. Cover the lemons with cool water. Pour a splash of olive oil over the top.

Cover the jar and let it sit at room temperature for 3 days. Shake and rotate the jar to keep the salt moving around. After 3 days move the jars to the refrigerator and let them sit for at least 3 weeks before using. A month is best. Store in the fridge. They will keep for at least 6 months.