Salted Meyer Lemons

A small amount of the softened, salty peel brings lemon flavor to dressings, roasted vegetables and chicken.

Makes: about 1 quart. Active time: about 25 minutes. Curing: 2 weeks.

Ingredients and equipment

• 10 Meyer lemons: 5 for preserving and about 5 for 1½ cups juice; have extra juice available if needed to cover
• ½ cup pickling or canning salt, divided
• Optional spices: 4 bay leaves, 4 cinnamon sticks (about 4 inches each), 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
• One 1-quart canning jar with a suitable lid and band

Method

1. Sterilize the jar by boiling it in water for 10 minutes; keep it hot. Above 1,000 feet, add 1 minute per additional 1,000 feet. Prepare the lid according to its manufacturer. Jar preparation reference: UCCE Sacramento, page 3.
2. Wash and dry the fruit. Juice 5 lemons. Trim ⅛ inch from the stem ends of the other 5; quarter them lengthwise, keeping their bases attached.
3. Put 1 tablespoon salt in the jar. Distribute 1 tablespoon inside each cut lemon, then pack upright. Add optional spices after the third lemon. Sprinkle the remaining salt on top.
4. Add juice to cover, leaving ½ inch of headspace. Fit the lid and band.
5. Cure in a cool, dark cupboard for 2 weeks, shaking daily. Then refrigerate; the source gives up to 6 months refrigerated. To use, remove pulp and membranes, rinse the peel and chop finely.

Quantities, curing and storage follow UC Master Food Preservers’ Traditional Preserved Lemons, page 1, which cites Ball and explicitly discusses Meyer lemons. This is a salt-cured preparation requiring refrigeration after curing, not a recipe for shelf-stable canned lemons.