These take just 10 minutes to make, and last for six months or more. Adapted from Paula Wolfert. Use a plastic jar lid, so you can mark the date on it.
4 large lemons (preferably fairly thin-skinned), scrubbed (about 6 oz each)
2/3 cup kosher salt
1 cup fresh lemon juice (from 5 large lemons)
Olive oil
Dry
lemons well and cut each into 8 wedges. In a bowl toss wedges with salt
(it will seem like a lot of salt), and pack them into a sterilized
glass wide-mouth canning jar (with a plastic replacement lid, available
in the grocery or hardware store where you buy canning jars). Once the
jar is full, add enough lemon juice to cover the lemons (don't use
bottled lemon juice, or water). Make sure the rim is free of salt or
juice, and that the lid closes tightly. Let lemons stand at room
temperature for seven days, shaking the jar each day to redistribute
the salt and lemon juice. Then, add oil to cover lemons and store in
the refrigerator, covered. The lemons will ripen in 30 days and can be
stored up to six months.
Jessica adds: "No surprise — I have
never weighed my lemons or measured the salt and lemon juice... I just
toss a bunch of lemon chunks in the salt and start packing them into a
pint jar. Once the jar is full, I fill with enough fresh lemon juice to
cover. The plastic tops for wide-mouth canning jars are excellent. They
are much less likely to corrode from all the salt and acid."
Use a wooden spoon to remove lemons from the jar.
LENTILS WITH SPINACH AND PRESERVED LEMON
My adaptation of Jessica’s adaptation of a recipe from Paula Wolfert’s Mediterranean Cooking. Serves 6.
1 turkey kielbasa
1/2 lb brown or black lentils
1 cup sliced onion
1/4 cup olive oil
3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh coriander or parsley
10 oz frozen spinach leaves, completely thawed and roughly chopped (or fresh baby spinach)
2 medium Yukon Gold or red-skinned potatoes, peeled and sliced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup chopped rind of preserved lemons
In a frying pan, brown the kielbasa until very brown. Set aside.
Wash and pick over the lentils. Place in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to the boil. Cook, covered, about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile,
brown the onion in oil in a large casserole or Dutch oven. Stir in the
garlic and coriander/parsley. Add the spinach and sauté 5-6 minutes,
stirring frequently. Add the potatoes, lentils, and enough cooking
liquid to cover. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, lower
the heat, and cook at the simmer for 1 hour, or until thick and soupy,
about 20 minutes. Stir in the chopped preserved lemons and the sausage.
Serve hot, lukewarm, or cold.