Ingredients
- 8–12 small thin-skinned lemons
- 315 g (11 oz/1 cup) rock salt
- 750 ml (26 fl oz/3 cups) lemon juice (10–12 lemons should yield this amount of juice)
- ½ teaspoon black peppercorns
- 1 bay leaf
- olive oil, for covering
Method
1. Scrub the lemons under warm running water with a soft brush to remove the wax coating if necessary.
2. Starting from the top and cutting almost to the base, cut the lemons into quarters, taking care not to cut all the way through. Gently open each lemon, remove any visible seeds and pack 1 tablespoon of the rock salt inside each lemon. Push the lemons back into shape and pack tightly into a 2 litre (70 fl oz/8 cup) sterilised jar with a tight-fitting lid. The lemons should be firmly packed and fill the jar (depending on their size, you may not need all 12).
3. Add 250 ml (9 fl oz/1 cup) of the lemon juice, the peppercorns, bay leaf and remaining rock salt to the jar. Fill the jar to the top with the remaining lemon juice. Seal and leave in a cool, dark place for 6 weeks, inverting the jar each week to dissolve the salt. The liquid will be cloudy initially, but will clear by the fourth week.
4. To test if the lemons are preserved, cut through the centre of one of the lemon quarters. If the pith is still white, the lemons aren't quite ready. In this case, re-seal and leave for another week before testing again. The lemons should be soft-skinned and the pith translucent.
5. Once the lemons are preserved, cover the brine with a layer of olive oil. Replace the oil each time you remove some of the lemon pieces so that the lemons remain covered with oil. Refrigerate after opening.
