As you may just be visiting for the recipe and I have not mastered the “Jump to Recipe” button, I won’t go into a long screed about wintering. If you are interested in what that means and how it’s going, hop on over to my Medium page. I hope you’ll follow me there, too. It’s a more contemplative space that I have separated from my recipe writing.

And what better way to bid winter adieu than to make preserved lemons? Salty, tart citrus softens with time and is an excellent addition to salad dressings, soup, meat, and casseroles. Stick it on your charcuterie board in thin slivers and pile it on a cracker with meat and cheese. Use them any way you would any other pickled vegetable, and be prepared to be amazed.

I had leftover lemons and five minutes this morning, so I went ahead and threw this together. They sit, gathering their thoughts for 30 days, so start now and you’ll be able to welcome spring with them.

Preserved Lemons

Ingredients

4 lemons, organic or well-scrubbed

¼ cup kosher salt

1 tablespoon sugar

3 bay leaves

1 tablespoon peppercorns

1 cup of lemon juice (enough to cover lemons)

Method

Scrub your lemons well and cut off both ends. Cut an “X” into one end, almost to the other but leaving the four quarters connected. Place the lemons in a large bowl. 

Mix together salt and sugar and pour over the lemons. Pack each lemon with the mixture, then cover the bowl and refrigerate for 24 hours.

The next day, wash and sterilize a glass jar (boil in water for five minutes). Pack the lemons, salt, and any juice they released into the jar. Add the bay leaves and peppercorns, and add lemon juice to cover. Seal the jar and return it to the fridge.

Let the lemons sit for at least three weeks before tasting. They will have softened considerably; the skin will be tender and entirely edible. Consume within six months.