Pickled Lemon Peel Recipes

PRESERVED LEMONS

Steps:

• Start by cleaning your quart jar in hot soapy water. Dry with a clean towel. Clean the outsides of the lemons, rinse and pat dry. Slice the ends from the lemons to create a flat top and bottom.
• 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.
• The quarters of the lemon remain attached at the base.
• Open the lemon and pour in 1/2 tbsp of salt. Don't worry if some of the salt spills out.
• 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.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.If the lemons are submerged in juice you can secure the lid, if not you may need to add additional fresh lemon juice to top them off.
• Alternatively, after slicing off the ends from the lemons, you can simply quarter them into four separate pieces; the quarters do not need to remain attached at the base. If you use this method, 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.
• 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.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.
• After 1 week, move your lemons to refrigerator. When the peels become translucent, you will know they are soft and ready for use.
• When you are ready to use a lemon, remove it from the jar and rinse to remove excess salt.
• Cut all of the remaining lemon flesh and pith away from the rind and discard.
• Chop the preserved lemon peel according to your recipe, or whichever way you prefer.
• You can store the lemons in the refrigerator for up to 6 months.

QUICK PRESERVED LEMONS

Steps:

• Trim the ends off the lemons. Slice each lemon into 8 wedges, removing any seeds as you go. Reserve as much of the juice as possible.
• Layer the lemon wedges in a wide-mouthed 16-ounce canning jar, covering each layer with salt. Pack the jar as tightly as possible, pressing down to release the lemons' juice as you go and leaving about 1/4 inch of headspace in the jar.
• Cover the wedges with the reserved lemon juice from the cutting board and the ends. If your lemons do not release a significant amount of juice, top off the jar with the juice of another lemon.
• Stash in the refrigerator for 4 days, then flip the jar over and age another 4 days before sampling. The peel should be nice and soft. Rinse before using.

PRESERVED LEMONS

Steps:

• Scrub 3 to 5 organic lemons, enough to fit snugly in a medium jar with a tight-fitting lid (have 2 to 4 more ready on the side). Slice each lemon from the top to within 1/2 inch of the bottom, almost cutting them into quarters but leaving them attached at one end. Rub kosher salt over the cut surfaces, then reshape the fruit. Cover the bottom of the jar with more kosher salt. Fit all the cut lemons in, breaking them apart if necessary. Sprinkle salt on each layer.
• Press the lemons down to release their juices. Add to the jar the peppercorns and bay leaves, then squeeze the additional lemons into the jar until juice covers everything.
• Close the jar and let ripen at cool room temperature, shaking the jar every day for 3 to 4 weeks, or until the rinds are tender to the bite. Then store it in the refrigerator.
• To use, remove a piece of lemon and rinse it. (Add more fresh lemons to the brine as you use them up.) The minced rind is added at the very end of cooking or used raw; the pulp can be added to a simmering pot.

PICKLED LEMONS

Steps:

• Wash and slice lemons into about six slices cutting from tip to tip, and pack tightly into sterilised jars (this can be doing by bringing the jars and lids to the boil for 10 minutes).
• mix the water, salt and vinegar together and boil for 6 minutes.
• leave to slightly cool then fill up the jars with the liquid, and keep for about a month in a cupboard before using. This recipe does 2-3 jars.

CANDIED LEMON PEEL

Steps:

• Cut lemons into slices about 1/4 inch thick and remove the fruit pulp. Cut the rings in half so the peels are in long strips.
• Bring water and lemon peel to a boil in a small pan. Drain water, and repeat with fresh cold water. Repeat the boiling step three times (see Editor's Note). Drain and set peels aside.
• Combine 2 cups fresh water with 2 cups sugar. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Reduce heat to low and stir in citrus peels; simmer until the white pith is translucent. Store peels in syrup, refrigerated, to keep them soft, or allow them to dry. Toss dry candied peels in additional sugar and store airtight at room temperature.

HOW TO MAKE LEMON PICKLES

Steps:

• Gather 10 to 12 small ripe lemons. You can use any type of lemons that you like, including conventional or organic. Many people even like to use Meyer lemons, which are a cross between a lemon and a mandarin orange, although they can be difficult to get your hands on. Whatever type of lemon you choose, make sure they are nice and ripe so that they have a lot of juice inside. Squeeze each lemon and make sure that it gives a little. This shows that it is nice and juicy.
• Sterilize a quart-size (1 liter) canning jar. When pickling lemons, it's important to use a clean container that will not introduce bacteria into the food. To avoid this, clean your jar and lid well with soap and hot water and then submerge them in boiling water for 10 minutes. If you don't have a quart-size (1 liter) canning jar on hand, a smaller one or a different type of jar will work. However, you will just have to cut down your ingredients to fit the size you have. Once the jars and lids have been boiled, lay them out on a clean towel to dry.
• Clean the outside of the lemons. Scrub the lemons so that you remove any wax, pesticides, or residue that is on the surface. You can simply rinse them under running cold water, scrub them with baking soda or vinegar, or use a commercial fruit and vegetable wash. You can use a kitchen scrubber or brush to clean the lemons.
• Slice the lemons into 1⁄4 to 1⁄2 inch (0.64 to 1.27 cm) slices. Cut each lemon in half horizontally. Place the flat cut surface on your cutting board so you can easily cut off the stems and dispose of them. Then make 1⁄4 to 1⁄2 inch (0.64 to 1.27 cm) slices all along the length of each piece.
• Remove all the lemon seeds. Look over each piece and use the tip of your knife or your fingers to take out all of the seeds. The seeds are not good for eating and should not be included in the pickle.
• Mix the lemons slices with salt. Put the lemons in a bowl and pour in 1/4 cup (68 grams) of salt. Stir the salt and lemons together until all of the lemons are coated. You can use any type of salt you have in your kitchen. However, pickling salt is good because it doesn't have additives that can cloud up your pickle. On the other hand, sea salt and kosher salt contain natural minerals that can enhance flavor. As the lemons are coated with salt, they will begin to give off more liquid. This is normal and nothing to worry about.
• Let the lemons sit in the jar on your counter for about a week. Put your coated lemons into your prepared jar and put on the lid. Keep the lemons at room temperature to start the pickling process. When the whites of the rinds are beginning to become translucent, you can move on with the process. Shake the jar a few times daily to ensure that all of the lemons are coated in the salt and are beginning to pickle. The number of days you let the lemons sit can vary. Some people let the lemons sit for only a few days. Just remember that the goal is to let the pickling process start without any seasonings added, which can hinder the lemons absorbing the salt.
• Cook your seasonings in a dry pan on low heat. Gather about 1 tablespoon of dry seasonings and 2 tablespoons of any garlic and chilis you want to add. To bring out the flavor of the dry seasonings, cook them in a dry pan on low heat until you can start to smell them. Seasonings that really do well with this type of treatment include mustard seeds, coriander seeds, and carom (ajwan) seeds. If you are adding fresh garlic and chilis to your lemon pickle, cook them in a small amount of canola oil to bring out their flavor and reduce the heat of the chilis a bit. Cool the seasonings to room temperature before adding them to your jar.
• Stir the seasonings into the jar and place it in the refrigerator. Pour your room temperature seasonings into the jar of lemons. Then stir everything together until it is well blended. At that point, put the lid back on the jar and put it in the fridge for several more weeks. Once your lemons have turned translucent and are soft and pliable, they are done and ready to eat. Some people keep the jar at room temperature, since the amount of salt in the lemons keeps them from spoiling. However, it is a better food handling process to keep them cold in the refrigerator just in case pieces of lemon are not fully submerged in the salty liquid.Tip: Use your lemon pickle within a year.

PICKLED LEMON PEEL

Steps:

• Using vegetable peeler, remove peel (yellow part only) from lemons. Simmer peel, 1/2 cup water, and 4 teaspoons kosher salt in heavy small saucepan over medium-high heat until salt dissolves. Reduce heat to low and simmer until liquid is reduced to 2 tablespoons and peel is tender, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Transfer peel with liquid to jar. Add lemon juice and extra-virgin olive oil. Refrigerate at least 1 day and up to 1 month for use as a seasoning.

PRESERVED LEMONS RECIPE

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Cut off and discard the stem ends of the lemons.
• Cut each lemon into quarters lengthwise, but not all the way through. Leave enough rind at the end to hold the fruit together, about 1/2 inch. If you do go too far and a lemon falls into quarters, don't worry. It's still completely usable; it just won't look as pretty sitting in the jar.
• Over a large bowl to catch the juice, use your thumb to carefully squeeze out the juice from each lemon quarter. Go ahead and really smash the lemon to get all the juice out.
• Over the same large bowl into which you've squeezed the lemon juice, sprinkle the inside of each juiced lemon with kosher salt (about 1 tablespoon per lemon), working as much of the salt as possible into the lemon flesh as you go, packing the crevices with lots of salt.
• Close the lemons, and place them in a quart-size sterilized glass jar with a tight-fitting lid. Make sure the lemons are packed in tightly so that they can't move freely. Compress the lemons as you add them to the jar, squeezing them in to release more juices.
• Pour the salty juice you collected in the bowl over the jarred lemons. Add more lemon juice, if necessary, to cover the lemons completely. Then add a generous sprinkling of salt (about 1 teaspoon).
• Seal and set the jar on the kitchen counter or other cool, dark spot for 7 days, shaking and turning daily.
• After two or three days, open the jar and compress the lemons to release more juices. If you have room to add another lemon, do so. The idea here is that tightly packed lemons won't be able to rise to the surface. Do this for the first week until the jar is packed as full as possible and the lemons stay completely submerged in juice.
• Transfer the sealed jar to the refrigerator and leave undisturbed. The lemons will be preserved and ready to use once the rinds are very soft, in about five weeks. You can continue to preserve them longer if you like, up to a year or more.