Lemons ReduxEvery once in a while, I get the chance to buy bunches of organic lemons, usually at the intersection of availability and my memory for them. I like them, because I often use the zest in cooking: the rind of the fruit is not considered edible for purposes of regulation, you see, and there are no checks on what perchance might be on that part of the fruit. I would not be surprised if one of the reasons the produce section of the supermarket is so brightly lit is that the lemons, the regular lemons, are so coated with malevolent chemical that should the light be gentle the things would radiate a seething, uncomfortable glow. I buy organic lemons when I can.
A useful thing to do with them is preserve them. Get a clean glass jar with a plastic screw-top lid (or some other, non-metallic lid - I am in search of jars of old with ground glass caps, always) and rinse it out with a bit of boiling water. The only other thing needed besides lemons is salt; a good kosher salt will do.
All that follows is the simple matter of cutting the lemons, rubbing the flesh with salt, and smooshing them into the bottom of the jar. Every layer, add a tablespoon of salt. When the jar is packed, get enough juice out of any remaining lemons to cover; the lemons should be completely submerged in a lemon juice brine. Somewhere in there, throw in some peppercorns, and some coriander seed, and a cinnamon stick. I often toss in some star anise for the hell of it.
Keep an eye on the fluid level; you want everything under brine. I find I sometimes have to squash down an unruly piece that doesn't want to stay. Occasionally shake the jar the redistribute the salt, then smash down the lemons again to get the air out. Keep air out at all costs. I'm not sure how anything could live in that hell, but risk it not.
For authenticity, the lemons should be mostly quartered. This can be something of a pain, if they don't want to settle into the jar properly. Just quartering the things is fine, and they pack a bit better.
After a month: preserved lemons. Rinse them off before using if too salty (and they will be). Make relishes; add them to chicken stews. Use in chutneys.
There are two many lemons in my kitchen now; I take the juice of them, a half at a time, in tall glasses of cold water.
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