hello!

we have a guest post up on frolic today.

and while it may seem counterintuitive to be messing with lemons when so many other things are at their peak, i know that in a month's time i'll be craving their bright and sunny flavour. definitely an acquired taste, as a scattering of tiny cubes or tossed into a vibrant relish, salty preserved lemons are just the thing to accent the rich stews and braises we'll be eating.

my recipe is a mix of three or four i've tried:

• about a dozen organic lemons: half cut as directed, half juiced
• salt (i use what's on hand, in this case kosher)
• a bay leaf, or cinnamon stick, or peppercorns etc
• a large and impeccably clean glass jar

because in the end it's the peel i'll be eating, i use organic lemons. give them a good scrub and quarter lengthwise, slicing ALMOST all the way through. working over a bowl i pack salt into each lemon "flower," and layer them into my jar with a bay leaf or two, peppercorns, or just plain. when the jar is full, i scrape in my juicy salty mess from the bowl, push the lemons down tight, and pour on the lemon juice until they are almost covered. after a day or two they will start to release their juices and you can add more juice then, to cover.

put them to sleep in the fridge, shaking occasionally to distribute the salt. after a month, remove a half or whole lemon and discard the pulpy inside leaving the peel. rinse well, and dice or slice thinly. the flavour is STRONG, but like umeboshi, strangely addictive!