Herb Preserved Lemons

Ingredients

• Thick skinned lemons

• Sea or rock salt

• Thyme or rosemary sprigs

Method

1. Begin by finding an appropriate jar to ferment the lemons in, and boil the jug so you can sterilise everything before you begin. Clean the lemons and place them and your herb of choice into a colander. Pour boiling water over them, as well as the jar and lid, a chopping board, and a teaspoon and knife.

2. Remove the tops and bottoms from the lemons (ensure you don’t cut too much off here, just enough to remove each end), then slice them vertically in a cross, only going down three quarters of the way so they are still connected at the bottom.

3. Place 2 tablespoons of salt into the bottom of the jar, then push 1-2 teaspoons of salt into the cross of each lemon. Pack the lemons tightly into the jar, placing them upside down with the attached end up. Add the herb sprigs as you go, alternating with the lemons. As the jar fills up, keep pushing and wedging the lemons down so they release juice – you can use a pestle for this if its easier. By the end of the process all the lemons should be covered with liquid - if you find you need more juice to fully submerge them, top them up with extra lemon juice until they are covered.

4. Place at room temperature out of direct sunlight for 3-5 days with the lid loosely sitting on top until fermentation begins - it might pay to put a tray underneath the jar in case of leakage. Depending on how warm your house is you may need to experiment with the length of time this process takes; you want the lemons to release more juice and begin just begin fermenting. I place mine on top of our fridge where I can keep an eye on them.

5. After 3-5 days, tighten the lid and transfer the jar to the fridge for another 3-4 weeks. After this time the rind should be soft, and the lemons will have that umami piquancy preserved lemons are known for.

6. Keep refrigerated until needed - I have kept preserved lemons in the fridge for up to a year. A top tip is to always use a clean implement when removing the lemons to ensure bacteria doesn’t make its way into the jar, as if this happens they can easily spoil.