Kelly Rossiter
DCL
Ever since my son's girlfriend Rebeccca gave me a tagine for Christmas I have been thinking that making preserved lemons is something I have to do. I've read lots of recipes about how easy they are to make, but I was just never sure how I would actually use them. I hated to a put all the time, energy and cost into making them just to see them wasted. Now that I've tried a few recipes in the tagine I can see that although they have been delicious, I know that I'm missing that essential ingredient.
The slow, moist cooking that you do in the tagine makes the flavours meld together in a totally wonderful way, but I imagine that the occasional hit of the salty lemon would instantly liven up the dish. Lemon is one of my favourite flavours, but I have to admit that I have never actually knowingly tasted a preserved lemon. I probably have had them without realizing it because I used to take Middle Eastern dancing lessons (we weren't allowed to call it belly dancing) and my teacher and her husband who were originally from Morocco owned a restaurant here where we sometimes ate. That was before I wrote about food for a living, so I may not have actively noticed the preserved lemons, but I sure could isolate my core muscle groups and move them separately! Still can, I'm happy to say.
I've seen all kinds of recipes for preserved lemons, from the basic salt and water bath to really complex ingredient lists. This one with all of the pepper in it appealed to me, because I like the hint of warmth in the mouth in my food. They really are very beautiful in the jar and I'm seriously looking forward to trying them, but with most pickles, you have to wait a bit. It takes six weeks for them to be ready, and my children are already chomping at the bit to receive the jars that I have promised them. It has been two weeks since I made them, so next month I will make a tagine and report back.
This makes 4 pint jars of preserved lemons. If you want a refresher course on how to sterilize jars and preserving in general you can check back on my posts on Preserving the Harvest.
Preserved Lemons
8 firm lemons
2 tablespoons pink peppercorns
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
3 tablespoons whole white peppercorns
1 1/2 teaspoons whole cloves
1 1/2 teaspoons whole coriander seeds
3 bay leaves
3 large unpeeled garlic cloves
9 tablespoons salt
2 cups fresh lemon juice (approximately 12 lemons)
1. Use a pan that will hold all four jars and their lids. Fill the pan with water to cover the jars and bring to a boil. Keep boiling for 20 minutes, topping up as needed. Holding the tongs with a cloth, use them to remove the jars and lids and lay the jars sideways to air-dry.
2. Wash the lemons and cut into vertical quarters. Pack the lemon quarters, interspersed with the salt, spices, bay leaves and garlic into the cooled jar. Add 1/2 cup lemon juice to each jar and top up with cold water. Tighten the lid and give the jar a good shake to help melt the salt.
3. The next day, check that the lemons are not above the liquid. If they are, add equal parts fresh lemon juice and water to fill the jar. Tighten the lid again, shake again and leave in a cool place (not the fridge) out of the sunlight to mature. The lemons will be ready in 6 weeks and will last for a year.
Difficulty Level: Easy
From the Epicurious Epi Log by Serena Bass
