Preseved lemons

bev00, Sep 18, 12:04pm
I use preserved lemons a lot in yoghurt sauces to go with middle eastern and North African dishes.

250 ml thick natural yoghurt
1/2 a preserved lemon, rind only, finely chopped
1 tsp dried mint or 1/4 c fresh mint leaves roughly chopped
Black pepper
Chopped red chili if you like
Salt if required (but taste first as the lemon is very salty)

You can add other flavourings such as cumin or coriander.

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davidt4 (2

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bev00 (1780 1780 positive feedback) 10:53 pm, Mon 15 Sep #32
I tried the 'tip' from Annabel and she said to freeze the lemons first and then slice and place in the oil - apparently it breaks them down faster. anyway I tried it and they seem to be fine. have used them in one dish and were a wonderful flavour . not kept in the dark cupboard though and they do discolour but presume this is normal.

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karlymouse (113

sarahb5, Oct 19, 2:35am
So many lemons on my tree this year so thinking of preserving some - anyone have a tried and trusted method?

antoniab, Oct 19, 6:19am
We always do the jamie oliver recipe, very easy, add a cinnamon stick, 2 bay leaves and some pepper corns, I have 6 jars 'fermenting' away now :)

allspices, Oct 22, 8:41am
The secret is to freeze the wedges you have cut, then pack them with the coarse salt and jar up. The freezing puts the timing way ahead and they are useable much quicker. You don't need to thaw them before processing either.

sarahb5, Oct 22, 9:03am
What happens if the liquid overflows the jar? I turned my jar yesterday and it leaked despite the rubber seal.

davidt4, Oct 22, 9:31am
Keep the jar on a saucer, then if it leaks it won't make a mess on the shelf. Otherwise the leakage doesn't matter as the salt and acid will preserve the lemons despite any air exposure.

I've found that even the French flip-top lids for jars and bottles do not create a complete seal. I recently had a hugely disappointing ant invasion into a flip- top bottle of quince liqueur. About a hundred ants got in through the tightly pressed rubber seal, and I cannot understand how it happened.

sarahb5, Oct 22, 6:40pm
Its on a small wad of kitchen paper towel - less wobbly than on a saucer

motorbo, Oct 22, 7:18pm
for those that preserve them, how often do you use them? and do they really make a difference to the recipe? in comparison to fresh lemons

davidt4, Oct 22, 8:11pm
I use them a lot motorbo, especially in Middle Easter and North African dishes. The flavour is quite different to that of fresh lemons, slightly bitter and very pungent and salty. One quarter is usually enough in a tagine to serve 4 people. They are delicious as a flavouring for a yoghurt and mint dressing for veges, in a garlic, lemon juice and oil dressing for cooked silverbeet, puréed in a mayonnaise. They are good in a composed salad along with toasted walnuts and currants, in a tomato and red onion salad.

davidt4, Oct 23, 12:11am
Middle Eastern! Not Easter. Sorry. Damned autocorrect.

motorbo, Oct 23, 12:19am
thanks davidt4, I now want to try them lol

addington261, Oct 23, 12:53am
They make a huge difference to any dish. Preserved lemons are very different in taste and texture to an ordinary lemon. Once tried you will always want some on hand.

buzzy110, Oct 23, 2:22am
The juice and the lemons also make a great addition to garden salads and probably most other salads as well.

juddy1, Nov 6, 11:59pm
Hi Sarah . Hope everybody's well at your house :)
What I made up for the clan here, was simply really . juiced my lemons into ice cube trays, Then freezed, For use later when it's warmer, Pop one into a glass of cold water.
cheers
Justin

sarahb5, Nov 7, 9:45am
All good here thanks - hope you are too - freezing the lemon juice is a really good idea, handy for my vodka!

southerngurl, Nov 9, 6:35am
Lemon vodka!

wendalls, Oct 17, 7:44am
I've had some in the fridge for ages. I read recently to not put them in the fridge to start with. Do you think if I got them out and refilled the top I could wait and see if they taste any better than they do now. All I could taste was bitter, very salty not very nice peel. I guess I've nothing to lose.