Speedy Preserved Lemons

A community recipe by Coby

Not tested or verified by Nigella.com

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Introduction

From The Cook's Companion - and yes, tried and tested, and honestly, these ones taste as good as any shop bought ones I've had:)

Ingredients

Serves: 4-6

lemons (scrubbed and quartered)
salt (table salt)
black peppercorns
cinnamon sticks (slivers - optional)
lemon juice
extra virgin olive oil

Method

Speedy Preserved Lemons is a community recipe submitted by Coby and has not been tested by Nigella.com so we are not able to answer questions regarding this recipe.

Put lemons in a plastic bag and freeze for at least four hours or until they are quite firm. Don't be tempted to leave them overnight, because you need them to be soft enough to still deal with. The peel softens by freezing.

Scatter 1 cm of salt into a wide mouthed sterilized jar then layer the fruit and more salt as tightly as you can, pressing down as you go, so you release as much juice as you can.

Include some of the cinnamon slivers and peppercorns in each jar.

Finish with a layer of salt and top with lemon juice to cover. Press to ensure there are no air pockets.

Top with a layer of oil, then seal and leave in a cool dark place for 1 week before use. The flavour gets better though, the longer they are left.