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14 August 2010
Preserve, pickle, jam, can, put up, ferment, jar. These words have been occupying my thoughts for over a year now. I have a great fascination with learning methods to make lasting supplies of food. While this passion tends to fuel jokes about me from my friends, I know I am not alone. A few months ago, I got together with some friends from the farm to learn how to preserve lemons. Nearing the end of lemon season, we harvested an abundance of fruit from a friend’s Meyer lemon tree. I was so excited to see the amount of what we had gleaned, an old recycling container half-full of fresh Meyer lemons that we would enjoy through the next coming months! This is how we stack functions: through harvesting what would have been a surplus of fruit, we turned the fruit into lasting food instead of allowing it to go into the waste stream, and we reduced the possibility for pests to be attracted to the fallen fruit. We also learned self-reliance by using an ancient and timeless method for preserving lemons through a memorable experience. It was so easy; the lemons can be preserved for several months in their own juice with the addition of salt.
We celebrated our craft by throwing a potluck where the lemon preserves were featured in each dish. Lemon preserves in farmer’s cheese on crostini with basil flowers, savory salad dressing over mixed greens and veggies, several quiches, and Moroccan lamb tagine were on the menu. It was an incredible dinner.
My friends poke fun at me for having such fervor to pickle things and I am happy to entertain them. They can reduce this kind of inclination to a word like dorky just as easily as I can reduce it to wanting to make something good last.
Preserved Lemons:
Divide lemons into two groups: lemons to be juiced, and lemons to be quartered and preserved (ideally should be attractive as they will remain relatively intact)
Place quartered lemons into sterilized jars and cover with salt (at least 2 tbsp per half pint.) Fill jars with lemon juice leaving 1/4” of headspace. Close jars and store in a cool, dark place. Turn jars over once a day for 4 days. Leave to rest for 2 and ½ weeks. Open and enjoy.
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