My wife Sharon is a foodie. She reads lots of cookbooks, watches Food TV Network, and uses cooking jargon like -- chiffonade, remoulade, and tisane -- stuff that's way over my head.
Sharon’s also the part of the marriage that pushes the edge of the culinary envelope. When she saw food writer Nigella Lawson make preserved lemons in an episode of her TV cooking show, the chase was on to make some of our own.
Preserved lemons have a mellow flavor and their saltiness adds a whole new dimension to the taste of citrus. They are generally used as a flavoring ingredient in many Moroccan dishes, especially, lamb and couscous. I like them enough to occasionally fish one out of the jar and eat it on its own.
The lemons we used come straight from our back yard where we have a very productive tree. Preserving the lemons is a great way to extend the season and, let’s face it, there only so much lemonade you can drink.
Did I mention that you only need lemon, kosher salt and olive oil to make these? Yup, really easy to make. If you buy preserved lemons at a food specialty store, you can expect to pay $13 per pound, so it’s better to DIY for a fraction of the price.
Here’s the recipe for preserved lemons care of Epicurious.com if you want to give it a shot. Bon appetit.
How long do you think the lemons can last? What if you add a lot of sugar to them?...
Posted by: Vacuum Sealers Unlimited | 04/01/2011 at 02:13 PM
They will last a very long time when kept in the refrigerator. 9 Months for sure. I wouldnt push it beyond a year.
Posted by: H. Mark Delman | 04/01/2011 at 07:22 PM