Honey Lemon Preserve & Lemon with Salt Preserves

Ingredients:

  • 2lbs lemons
  • Honey
  • 2-liter air-tight jar

Instructions:

Make lemon marinade

1. Clean a half-gallon (2-liter) air-tight jar thoroughly and let air dry. Or if you prefer, boil the jar to sanitize and let it air dry.

2. Next, wash lemons thoroughly and let them air dry or use paper towels to pat dry.

3. Slice lemons and place them in the half-gallon (2-liter) air-tight jar. Try to arrange them tightly so as to leave little space between the slices. You should leave the top third of the jar empty because you will need that space to re-arrange the lemon slices and stir later.

4. Pour honey into the jar. The honey should almost cover the lemons.

5. Seal the jar with the lid and place it in the fridge.

6. Every two to three days, use a clean spoon to scoop the lemons and honey from the bottom and drizzle them on top.

7. The marinade will be ready in about a week. By then, the lemons will lose a lot of their juice, and the texture of the liquid in the jar will be watery thin.

Serving the tea:

Add 3 to 4 tablespoons of the liquid and a few slices of marinated lemon into a big glass.

1. (Option 1) Fill glass halfway with hot water. Stir and let rest for 3 minutes. Add ice water to make it a cold drink—the drink will be more flavorful this way.

2. (Option 2) Add cold water or soda to make a quick cold drink.

3. (Option 3) Add a black tea bag and hot water to the glass to make honey lemon black tea.

4. (Option 4) Add hot water to the glass to make it a hot drink directly. Perfect for sore throats!

To store

1. Use a clean spoon every time; you can store the jar in the fridge for up to a month.

Preserve Lemons in Salt

Simple salt-preserved lemons for use in braises, sauces, tagines, and recipes. All you need are lemons, a quart jar, and salt!

Ingredients:

  • 6-8 whole lemons
  • 4-5 tbsp salt

You will also need: Quart jar, sharp knife, pestle, or wooden spoon

Recipe Preparation:

1. Clean the jar with hot, soapy water. Dry with a clean towel.  Alternatively would be placing it in the dishwasher.

2. Clean the outsides of the lemons, rinse and pat dry. Slice the ends from the lemons to create a flat top and bottom.

3. Stand the lemon on one of the flat ends. To preserve the lemons whole, cut an “x” in the lemon and stop when you are about 1/2 inch from cutting all the way through.

4. Open the lemon and pour in 1/2 tbsp of salt.

5. Once you salt the lemons, pack them into the jar as tightly as possible. You can use a pestle or a wooden spoon to push them in.

6. Once all of the lemons are in the jar, add an additional 1 tbsp of salt. Press on the lemons one more time to extract as much juice as possible.

7. If you quarter the lemons, pour 1/2 tbsp salt into the bottom of the jar, place four lemon quarters in the jar, and sprinkle 1/2 tbsp salt evenly on top of the for slices. Repeat with each quartered lemon, alternating layers of 4 slices and 1/2 salt, till the jar is tightly packed with lemon slices. Sprinkle 1 tbsp on top of the final layer of slices.

8. Use a pestle to press on the lemons and extract as much juice as possible. Top off the jar with fresh lemon juice if needed.

9. Seal the jar and store the lemons in a cool dry place for at least 1 week. Give them a shake every once in a while to disperse the juice and salt.

10. After a week, move your lemons to the refrigerator. When peels are translucent they are ready for use.

11. Rinse lemons to remove access salt.

12. Cut all of the remaining lemon flesh and pith away from the rind and discard.

13. Chop the preserved lemon peel according to your recipe, or whichever way you prefer.

14. You can store the lemons in the refrigerator for up to 6 months.