Winter Citrus Harvest & House Recipe for Preserving Lemons
One of the greatest bounties of winter is from the citrus grove. From cumquats to oranges, lemons, limes, and everything in between, we harvest various citrus from the farm and take them to the restaurant to be used in a range of dishes and preserves.
Citrus adds a wonderful and intense punch of flavour to dishes and a zip on the tongue, which can make things really interesting when matching wine. One of our favourite things to do with citrus is to preserve it for the months to follow. Here is a recipe from our kitchen that you might like to try at home:
- INGREDIENTS:
12 lemons
Table salt or Kosher
2 teaspoon black peppercorns
4 bay leaves
Step 1
Slice each lemon from the top to within ½ inch of the bottom, almost cutting them into quarters but leaving them attached at one end. Rub the salt over the cut surfaces, then reshape the fruit. Cover the bottom of the jar with more salt. Fit all the cut lemons in, breaking them apart if necessary. Sprinkle salt on each layer.
Step 2
Press the lemons down to release their juices. Add to the jar the peppercorns and bay leaves, then squeeze the additional lemons into the jar until juice covers everything.
Step 3
Close the jar and let it ripen at cool room temperature, shaking the jar every day for 3 to 4 weeks, or until the rinds are tender to the bite. Then store it in the refrigerator.