- 1300 grams fresh lemons (about 8 to 10 small lemons)
- 200–250 grams sea salt
- 2 extra lemons for juicing (if needed)
- Wash all of the lemons, and weigh out the salt in a bowl
- Cut the ends off the lemons, then starting at one end, cut each lemon into quarters, without cutting all the way through (see photos above).
- Over a large bowl, fill the crevices of the lemons with copious amounts of salt. Fill each lemon with salt until all the salt is used up.
- Start packing the whole lemons into a clean, large jar. A quart mason jar worked well for me, but depending on the type of lemon you use, you may need a bigger jar. You will have to wedge them in as tightly as possible, and lemon juice will be released in the process.
- Once the jar is full make sure all the lemons are submerged in lemon juice. If you need to, juice two lemons and add the juice to the jar.
- Place a lid on the jar and allow the lemons to cure at room temperature for 4 weeks. You can allow the lemons to cure for up to a year at room temperature. They will darken the longer they cure.
- Once opened, store in the fridge indefinitely. Rinse off any excess salt and brine before using the preserved lemons in recipes. You can discard the pulp and use the well-rinsed rind anywhere that you’d use lemon zest.
