Quick and Easy Preserved Lemon.

Do you love the flavor of  Preserved Lemons? if so take a look at this quick and easy method of preserving and using Preserved Lemons!

Preserved lemons add a delicious flavor to just about everything!

I love homecooked meals, but I also love easy! As well as filling my pantry with homemade treasures, that help me put a meal on the table, quickly. To do this I usually take a recipe and put my own easy spin on it. But this process/recipe for Quick and Easy Preserved Lemon comes from a blogger friend, Judee from Gluten Free from A-Z. While I am not a GF cook or baker, I enjoy following bloggers who don't cook the way I do. Why? For all the great ideas they come up with! 

Food does not have to look fancy to be delicious, this recipe is proof of that!

Years ago I made a traditional jar of Preserved Lemons. The lemons were cut to the blossom end leaving the quartered sections attached and stacked in the jar, fruit to rind, one on top of the other, with salt between each layer. Beautiful to look at in the jar, but difficult to dig out and actually use. It turns out, I didn't use them much...that won't happen with this jar. Also there is nothing as nice as making a new condiment or pantry item using what is already available in your own pantry.

Remember, it's your kitchen, your own needs and ideas are important.

Which led me to put my own easy spin on a jar of Quick Pickled Onions found on another blog I enjoy. They were made with sliced onions, so I made them exactly as directed in the recipe. And while we loved the flavor, I immediately knew that the next jar would be diced onions, not sliced, because the first thing I had to do to use the onions, was cut the slices into pieces. I haven't looked back since, it has been jar after jar of delicious diced Quick Pickled Onions!

Learning as we go, makes us all students, and there is always something new to learn.

My natural desire for easy, stems from the enjoyment of learning about and cooking some of the older heritage recipes found in blog and internet searches as well as recipe from my own Grandmother's kitchen. To be honest the average home cook simply did not have the time to spend hours and hours making one meal. There were far too many other tasks and chores that needed attending to, along with keeping children safe and happy. Everyday food was delicious, but it was also quick and/or easy. For the most part, easy is my favorite scratch recipe day after day! And proof that scratch cooking does not take all day!

Only two  ingredients and 5 minutes time for Preserved Lemons!

Preserved lemon also known as lemon pickle has a delicious and unique flavor. They add delicious flavor to the cuisines of North Africa and the Mediterranean. It seems that as lemon trees spread from Morocco to India, so did the need to preserve them. This easy layering and salting method needs no special equipment. But it also introduced preserved lemons as a common staple in most kitchens. And preserved lemons were used in a wide variety of Middle Eastern and Asian cuisines. You can bet I will be looking for lots of creative ways to use these tasty slices! 

Some additional thoughts on this recipe:

As you use the lemon slices you will have some of the salty lemon brine to use, add a teaspoon when cooking anything where salt and lemon would be welcome. Think rice, green beans, asparagus...

The preserved lemon fruit is delicious in homemade humus.

For a delicious twist on flavor you can layer the lemon slices with Bay Leaves and Whole Cloves. 

This is the perfect solution to make a small batch of just one lemon if desired, my guess is, you will soon make more!

Ingredients needed for this recipe:

• organic lemons
• kosher salt

You will also need the following:

• kitchen knife
• cutting board
• small glass jar with lid
• fork
• small bowl

Now we are ready to begin!

Quick and Easy Preserved Lemon.

adapted from Judee!

3 or 4 organic lemons

1/4-1/2 c kosher salt

Wash and dry the lemons. Cut the stem and blossom ends off and discard. Note, you will want to cut deep enough to expose the fruit. 

Cut each lemon in half lengthwise. 

Slice crosswise into thin 1/8 inch slices. 

Pour some salt into a shallow bowl. Dip both sides of the lemon slices in the salt and layer into the glass jar. 

Continue dipping the slices of lemon in the salt and layering in the jar, adding more salt to the bowl as needed.

When the jar appears to be full, carefully push the lemon slices down, and continue to add more slices until the jar is packed. Gently push the fruit down again and you will see the salty brine begin to fill the jar. Add a bit of salt to the top of the jar. 

Cap the jar and set aside for 24 to 72 hours. 

The fruit will have softened and formed enough brine to cover when pressed with the back of a spoon. Refrigerate to store.

Storage options for Quick and Easy Preserved Lemons. Store covered in the refrigerator until gone, the salt and acid are natural preservatives, with little or no danger of spoiling.

 

You may also enjoy: 

Tomato Serendipity. 

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