All you need is salt, lemons and olive oil

Sit down with a glass of wine and get salting! P.L’s only take 20 minutes to prep, but the taste is unbeatable. I’m all for shortcuts but won’t touch the bottled ones you get in supermarkets. They’re an unappealing khaki colour with a nasty chemical taste that permeates food and ruins  it. For best results leave the lemons to mature for at least 3 weeks before using.

I’m including a quick version if you need them RIGHT NOW, but they’re not as good. So pleeease put some time aside and get preserving. A jar of lemons will keep for a year and makes a great addition to casseroles, such as Lamb Tagine or Chicken With Lemon & Rosemary,  plus stuffings and spreads.

Quick Version:
Thinly slice 1 lemon and place in a small pan. Cover with the juice of 2 lemons,4 tsp sea salt and bring up to the boil then reduce to a medium heat and leave to simmer gently for 10 minutes. Continue as per recipe.

Ingredients:
8 unwaxed lemons
coarse sea salt
olive oil

Equipment:
A large sealable jar
chopping board and sharp knife

Here’s What You Do:
Wash 6 of the lemons then make four lengthway cuts through each as though you were cutting them into quarters but leaving a 1cm at the top and bottom of each to keep it intact.

Squeeze open each slit and fill it with salt then reshape the lemon and place in the jar.

Repeat this process for each lemon, packing all four into the jar.

Now squeeze the juice of the 2 remaining lemons and pour into the jar, top up with olive oil until the lemons are completely covered and place in the fridge.

They will be ready to use after 3 weeks and will keep refrigerated for up to 12 months.

Tags: lemon juice, lemons, oil, salt