Homemade Preserved Lemons

Preserved Lemons are a fantastic thing to have around the house.  They add a wonderful brightness to many of my favorite dishes.  You can use them in salsas, chermoula, hummus, tagines and many other equally delicious dishes.  As an added bonus, they also look beautiful in the jar!

Preserved Lemons in my Slow Cooker Lemon and Olive Chicken Tagine

The only downside is that, at least in Maine, preserved lemons can be very expensive to buy at the store.  I don't know if it's the general demographic of Maine but none of the traditional grocery stores sells them.  That leaves me to either buy them on Amazon for a ridiculous amount of money or travel up to Portland to spend an almost equally ludicrous amount of money at a specialty store.  

Lucky for us, they are super easy to make!  For only about 10 minutes of my time and a week of waiting, I end up with delicious preserved lemons.  It's also very affordable.  My bag of lemons and salt only cost me $3 for a huge jar of lemons.  Last time I bought a small jar it cost me almost $14.

Homemade Preserved Lemons
homefamilylove.com
Servings: 20 ★ Size: 2 slices ★ Smart Points:  0 ★ Points Plus: 0 ★ Calories: 5 ★ 
Total Fat: 0 g ★ Saturated Fat: 0 g ★ Protein: 0 g ★ Carbohydrates: 2 g ★ Fiber: 0 g ★ Sugars: 0 g ★ Sodium: 734 mg ★ Cholesterol: 0 mg

Ingredients:

· 1 quart-size preserving jar, sterilized 
· 6-7 lemons, unwaxed (preferably Meyer lemons) 
· 1/4 cup salt
· 1/4 cup lemon juice

Directions:

1.  Slice the lemons thinly.  I like to make sure that I take out the seeds while I am doing this.  It takes a few extra moments but saves having to do it later when I'm in a rush!

2.  Place 1/4 of the sliced lemons into the preserving jar.  Add a 1/4 of the salt.  Continue to layer until the jar is full.  Make sure to end on a layer of salt.  You can also add more salt if needed.  

3.  Add the lemon juice and fill the remaining space with water.  Cover the jar and shake well.  Place the jar in the fridge and allow to ferment for a week at a minimum. Use according to the recipe.