GETTING TO COOKED
PRESERVE YOUR OWN LEMONS!
You can find preserved lemons at specialty markets or online (such as at Zingermans.com), but if you have enough time, making them yourself is easy and much cheaper.
Have ready a clean pint jar; thoroughly wash 2 organic lemons. Slice the top and bottom ½ inch from one of the lemons. Stand the lemon on one of the cut ends and slice it almost in half, leaving ½ inch or so to keep the halves connected. Flip the lemon and make a perpendicular (crosswise) cut to the first, again leaving ½ inch or so to keep the lemon wedges connected. Repeat with the other lemon.
Using coarse sea salt or kosher salt, rub all the pieces of exposed flesh with salt. Cover the bottom of the jar with salt and place one of the lemons in the jar, along with a bay leaf, a small whole dried chile, a cinnamon stick, and two or three peppercorns. Fill in all the crevices around the lemon with salt. Place the second lemon in the jar along with a few more peppercorns and again fill in with salt, making sure the lemons are completely buried. Press down to release the juices in the lemons and screw the lid securely on the jar.
The next day, make sure the lemons are covered in the salty liquid; add a bit of water if the lemon juices aren’t enough to immerse the lemons. Let the jar sit at room temperature for 3 to 4 weeks, gently shaking it every few days. When the rinds are tender, the lemons are ready to eat. Refrigerate the jar.
Scoop out the flesh of the lemon and rinse the pith and peel before use. Always make sure the remaining lemon stays covered with brine in the jar; if immersed, they will keep at least 6 months in the fridge.