PRESERVED MEYER LEMONS

MAKES ONE ½-GALLON JAR

This is one of those recipes that teaches patience. It takes very little handwork, but 3 weeks for the lemons to “cure” in the fridge. When they’re done, the preserved lemons can be chopped and added to couscous, rice, pasta dishes, stews, sauces, salad dressings… almost anywhere you want a shot of salty-sour-sweet flavor. If your dish has already been salted, rinse off the excess salt before using the lemons. —CHAD

9 to 12 Meyer lemons, scrubbed well

REGULAR EUREKA LEMONS ALSO WORK

About 1 cup coarse sea salt

About ½ cup fresh squeezed Meyer lemon juice (from about 2 Meyer lemons)

Prepare the lemons one at a time: Cut off the green tip of the lemon. Then begin as if you were cutting the lemon in half lengthwise, but only let the knife go halfway down through the lemon. You’re really slitting the lemon halfway through lengthwise. Turn the lemon about a quarter turn and make another slit halfway through. Repeat the process until you have 4 to 6 lengthwise slits all around the lemon. Repeat with the remaining lemons.

Next, open up each slit with your fingers and fill with a generous amount of salt, packing it in with your fingertips. Repeat with all the slits in all the lemons, stuffing each slit with salt. It may seem odd to use so much salt, but trust me. This is what makes the magic lemon pickles happen.

Next, stuff the lemons in a half-gallon glass jar (or two 1-quart jars). Squish them down so that some juice is squeezed from every lemon. Once all the lemons are stuffed in, sprinkle the remaining salt over them all; if you’ve already used all the salt for stuffing, sprinkle with about 2 tablespoons more salt. Press the lemons again to ensure they are packed tight. There should be enough extracted lemon juice for the lemons to be covered in liquid, but if they are not completely covered, add enough fresh squeezed lemon juice to completely cover them.

Seal the jar tightly and let sit at room temperature for 3 or 4 days. About once a day, turn and gently shake the jar to redistribute the salt and spices (see the Option). After 3 or 4 days, place the jar in the fridge and chill for at least 3 weeks, again turning the jar every few days. After 3 weeks, the lemon rinds should be very soft. Have patience. It’s a long process, but it’s well worth the wait. Plus, preserved lemons keep in the fridge for at least 6 months.

When you want to use a preserved lemon, remove it from the jar and rinse it thoroughly but gently to remove excess salt and the seeds.

OPTION

To spice it up, add 4 cinnamon sticks, 3 dried cayenne-type chiles, 2 tablespoons coriander seeds, and/or 1 tablespoon black peppercorns to the jar before you add the salt and lemons.