Preserved Lemons

About half the recipes in my Moroccan cookbook (or at least half the tagine recipes) call for preserved lemons. Unfortunately, I've been unable to find any locally. I'm sure I could find them in Toronto or buy them online somewhere, but seeing as there's a recipe for them included in the front of the book, I decided to try that route instead.

Moroccan preserved lemons are basically pickled in their own (salted) juices. Sometimes a few spices may be added, but at their simplest, they're just lemons + salt.

Preserved Lemons
8 meyer lemons
coarse sea salt
2 small bay leaves
1 1/2 cinnamon sticks
4 cloves
6 black peppercorns
9 coriander seeds
freshly squeezed lemon juice

1. Sterilize your jar(s) and wash your work surfaces.
2. Place 1 Tbsp. of salt at the bottom of each jar.
3. Quarter the lemons to within 1cm of the bottom and rub salt into the cut surfaces.
4. Form the lemons back to their original shape and add to the jar along with the spices. Press down to release juices and make sure they all fit.
5. If the lemons are not completely covered by juice, add some more freshly squeezed juice. (The recipe was very specific that it must be freshly squeezed juice.)
6. Make sure there is still some air space at the top of the jar before sealing it.
7. Place in a warm spot and shake daily. Lemons are ready to use after 30 days.

The recipe notes that the pickling brine may be reused several times and that the lemons should keep for about a year at room temperature. It does mention that you should be careful when fishing lemons out of the jar. Make sure that your implements are clean to avoid contamination. It also suggests using wooden implements to retrieve your lemons from the jar, but doesn't say why.

My lemons just went into the jar today, so it'll be a while before they're ready to use. I'll try to remember to plan for a nice tagine in a month or so to give me a chance to try them and report back here. Can't wait to try some new recipes!