Lemons preserved in brine (pickled lemons)

An amazing idea on how to preserve your lemons in brine and keep their divine aroma locked in a vase for a whole year.

Hands on: 5 minutes

Waiting time: 5 weeks

Ingredients

a glass vase (1lt / 33.8 fl.oz)

6 lemons

150gr (5.3 oz) semi-coarse sea salt

juice from 1 lemon

10 seeds pink peppercorn

3 bay leaves

Wash the vase and sterilize it. Place it upside down in to a preheated oven (100oC) for 20 minutes.
Wash the lemons.
Take a big bowl, add the lemons and cover them with water.
Let them there for 15 minutes.
Then drain them using a colander.
Pour over the lemons (in the colander) some hot water.
Let them cool completely.
Cut each lemon into 4 pieces (the pieces should still be attached at the bottom to one another).
Add inside each lemon 1,5 teaspoon salt.
Place all the lemons in the vase as close to one another as possible.
Add the lemon juice, the rest of the salt, the pink peppercorn and the bay leaves.
Fill the vase with lukewarm water.
Let the lemons to completely cool.
Time to seal the vase. Before you cover with the lid, place a piece of plastic food membrane and then the lid.
Let the lemons in room temperature for one week. Do not forget to shake the vase everyday, so that the salt is completely diluted in the water.
Then place the vase in a dark and cool place for 5 weeks.
Ready.
Use the preserved lemons whenever you need them. When you open the vase for the first time, then the lemons should be kept into the refrigerator.

It is important to have the minimum oxygen inside the vase, so keep in mind to transfer the lemons in to a smaller vase when the quantity inside the 1lt vase is reduced.
When you want to use them you can either cut them in dices, or just the peels in slices or blend the salted lemon.
I used them for my chicken “lemonato” (chicken in the oven with potatoes, olive oil, oregano and 1 preserved lemon - blended).
Use the brine to make a dressing for your winter salads.
When using preserved lemons keep in mind not to over salt your food. The lemons contain already a lot of salt.