30 March 2015

Sweet preserved lemons


We planted a second lemon tree about 18 months ago and it's starting to produce its first lemons. I love have having too many lemons, I always feel rich when I'm surrounded by them.  As well as using them in cooking and baking, I juice about a hundred a year and keep the pure juice in the freezer to make cordial when the lemons on the tree stop growing.






Recently, I decided to try to make a preserve that would give us lemon slices for our tea and as a drink garnish.  Here is that recipe:

Sweet preserved lemons
  • 4 lemons
  • enough medium sugar syrup to fill a jar full of lemons
  • sterilised preserving jar and lid
  1. Slice the lemons and include half slices and quarters. Don't waste any. Pack the sliced lemons into the jar and when it starts getting full, push the lemons down into the jar with your clean fingers.  I got four whole lemons into that small jar.  
  2. Make up a medium strength sugar syrup using 1 cup water and ½ cup white sugar. Bring to the boil, make sure the sugar is completely dissolved and turn off the heat. 
  3. When all the sliced lemons are in the jar, and while the syrup is still hot, pour the sugar syrup carefully over them to almost the top of the jar. Put the lid on and when they're cool, store them in the fridge. The heat from the syrup will create a vacuum.
These slices and pieces of lemon can be stored for many weeks in the fridge. Use them in your tea or cold drinks. When all the lemons are gone, use the lemon syrup with sparkling mineral water as a refreshing drink.


I don't like salted preserved lemons so this is a way to keep some of the crop for later in the year.  What do you do with your lemons?

SHARE:

23 comments

  1. How I wish that we had that problem! Lemons are not an easy crop in UK although they can be grown in conservatories and in pots that can be brought indoors in winter I think.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Sometimes over here in the UK there are reasonably priced unwaxed lemons at Lidle or Aldi. I use our own eggs and make lemon curd which is a great favourite. I do salted lemons for Moroccan lamb dishes as we rear our own lamb (though I have never found another use for them). I have never preserved lemons as you demonstrate, but will definitely give them a try.
    Very best wishes Rhonda from a chilly England.
    Gill

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Gill, I love preserved lemons and found that by typing it in on Pinterest I had hundreds of new recipes at my fingertips. This is a good board for preserved lemon ideas - https://www.pinterest.com/limoneira/preserved-lemons-recipes/

      Delete
  3. Спасибо, очень хороший рецепт.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I am such a dolt! I never knew this could be done and now I'm positively drooling. Will be looking for unwaxed lemons here in the US. Maybe a good washing will help? Thank you Rhonda!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. A vinegar and warm water bath removes wax from fruit, just rinse extra afterwards.

      Delete
    2. Thanks from the UK. I got loads of lemon 🍋 from a shop at a bargain price. I kept like 20 in our shed but as the weather got warmer I need to use them up. I have just made 2 jars of lemon slices!

      Delete
  5. I use lemon mostly in my honey and lemon hot drink to keep the winter flu's away. I also squeeze abit onto my atlantic salmon when it is grilling, makes such a lovely flavour. A squeeze on vegetables that I stir fry as well

    ReplyDelete
  6. How wonderful to have an abundance of lemons grown without pesticides. And so expensive in the shops.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I just adore having an abundance of lemons, but lately they have been few and far between. Thanks for this great preserving method, I'll be using this for sure!
    Jan x

    ReplyDelete
  8. Our lemon tree is producing lots of lovely lemons at present, I love it. I use a lot of lemon juice in cooking, i do squeeze some and freeze the juice, but not a lot of it as we get lemons most of the year here. When I have a real glut, I make lemon curd and preserved lemons, and lots and lots of ginger cordial, which freezes really well. I also share the produce with friends, who are so generous with sharing the produce from their fruit trees.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Wonderful, something I will try, instead of freezing all the juice this year.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Rhonda, would giving them a good scrub remove the wax?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes Jenny, just pour some hot water over the lemons before you brush them. That will soften the wax.

      Delete
  11. Lemon curd and lemon bars!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Can these be processed in a water bath or pressure canner for long term storage?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I've never water bathed them but you could do it. I never bothered because it's acid and sugar, it's not going to go off. This jar is now half full in my fridge and they're still perfect. They'll last another two months at least, or longer if we don't use them.

      Delete
  13. Can I use this to make lemonade? It already has the lemons and sugar so I was wondering if I could pre-prep for summer.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Can I make sugared lemons without heat? I’m hoping to make some during a trip to take home and won’t have heat source. I can pack with sugar and keep in a fridge, would that work?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Why don't you just bring the lemons home and do them when you get back?

      I've never tried what you're proposing so I can't say if it will preserve the lemons. Sugar is a preservative but you have to store the lemons in sterilised jars. You won't know if they'll keep without going off unless you try it.

      Delete
  15. hi there from New Zealand...many a backyard has a lemon tree, but so many residents lets them go to waste, so im a cheeky bugger and i go door knocking.

    Questions..how long would you recommend the jars sealed on the shelf and could I use less sugar

    thanks

    Glenn

    ReplyDelete
  16. Glenn, you could use ¼ cup sugar to make a weak syrup. I've never stored these in the cupboard, always in the fridge where they last for 6 months.

    ReplyDelete

Blogger Template by pipdig