Very easy to make at home, they have the most unique taste. Definitely worth making. They can be used for all kinds of Moroccan meat or vegetable stews as well as for salads. The jar in the picture contains my most recent batch.
5 lemons
1/4 cup salt, more if desired
Optional Safi Mixture:
1 cinnamon stick
3 cloves
5 to 6 coriander seeds
3 to 4 black peppercorns
1 bay leaf
freshly squeezed lemon juice
If you wish to soften the peel, soak the lemons in lukewarm water for 3 days, changing the water daily.
Cut off and discard the tops of the lemons. Quarter the lemons from the top to within 1/2 inch of the bottom, spread them and stuff well with salt, then reshape the fruit.
Place 1 T salt on the bottom of a sterile 1 pint mason jar. Pack in the lemons and push them down, adding more salt, and the optional spices between layers. Press the lemons down to release their juices and to make room for the remaining lemons. (If the juice released from the squashed fruit does not cover them, add freshly squeezed lemon juice, not chemically produced lemon juice and not water.) Leave some air space before sealing the jar.
Let the lemons ripen in a warm place, shaking the jar each day to distribute the salt and juice. Let ripen for 30 days.
To use, rinse the lemons, as needed, under running water, removing and discarding the pulp, if desired. There is no need to refrigerate after opening. Preserved lemons will keep up to a year, and the pickling juice can be used two or three times over the course of a year.
(Recipe from the book Couscous and Other Good Food from Morocco by Paula Wolfert.)
Alternatively, you can cover the lemons with spring water and pour vegetable oil on top before sealing the jar. The oil works as a seal, protecting the lemons from air contact during the preservation time.
1/4 cup salt, more if desired
Optional Safi Mixture:
1 cinnamon stick
3 cloves
5 to 6 coriander seeds
3 to 4 black peppercorns
1 bay leaf
freshly squeezed lemon juice
If you wish to soften the peel, soak the lemons in lukewarm water for 3 days, changing the water daily.
Cut off and discard the tops of the lemons. Quarter the lemons from the top to within 1/2 inch of the bottom, spread them and stuff well with salt, then reshape the fruit.
Place 1 T salt on the bottom of a sterile 1 pint mason jar. Pack in the lemons and push them down, adding more salt, and the optional spices between layers. Press the lemons down to release their juices and to make room for the remaining lemons. (If the juice released from the squashed fruit does not cover them, add freshly squeezed lemon juice, not chemically produced lemon juice and not water.) Leave some air space before sealing the jar.
Let the lemons ripen in a warm place, shaking the jar each day to distribute the salt and juice. Let ripen for 30 days.
To use, rinse the lemons, as needed, under running water, removing and discarding the pulp, if desired. There is no need to refrigerate after opening. Preserved lemons will keep up to a year, and the pickling juice can be used two or three times over the course of a year.
(Recipe from the book Couscous and Other Good Food from Morocco by Paula Wolfert.)
Alternatively, you can cover the lemons with spring water and pour vegetable oil on top before sealing the jar. The oil works as a seal, protecting the lemons from air contact during the preservation time.
