Preserved lemons

I decided to try something different today.  I've been meaning to preserve myself some lemons for about a year now but just never got around to having ALL the ingredients in the house at one time. It really hurt when I was making the lamb tagine last week and I had to use fresh lemons instead. Even though I still got a beautiful lemonly flavour it wasn't nearly as intense as it could of been if I had of used preserved lemons!

So with that in mind I set about buying a bunch of lemons, a massive bag of table salt and got to work.  I am also trying to break out on my own and start opening up new branches of my website. I am in the process of writing a menu for a home delivery meal service and a few other bits and pieces so I have been trying to get a little more savvy when it comes to self promoting.....I have a long way to go, but we all have to start somewhere!

OK, so with the help of my 9 year old, I decided to video my recipe of preserved lemons and see how that went. Max, I have to say did a sterling job at videoing my efforts, however, after looking back at the video I left out a lot of info! I have added the video for a bit of a laugh, however, if you'd like some actual information on preserving lemons please read on.

As I forgot to mention in the above video, you need to leave your preserved lemons for a minimum of 10 days for a good flavour. They will last for months and months if you have a sterile jar and the lemons are always covered with salt and juice to prevent mould.
When you want to use the lemon; simply pull out a piece, wash it under cold water to remove excess salt, remove the middle and then slice up the skin as thin or as thick as you would like.

I love to use them in loads of dishes from summer salads to slow braised lamb, pork or chicken dishes. Veggie hot pots also are a winner with some chilli flakes and slices of preserved lemons added. I'll post this in a few weeks time when I can finally use my stash.

I have already opened the jar and added a couple extra lemons and more salt then pressed them down again to squeeze out a little more of the juice. Now all I have to do is leave them until needed. Have a go, you'll be blown away with the flavour it adds to your next meal.