An Abundance of Lemons

An Abundance of Lemons

This Girl isn't a gardener, although last year I grew a successful batch of tomatoes and this year I'm trying my hand at broccolini and mini cauliflowers.
We are lucky enough to have a lemon tree in the backyard and a green thumb Mother Dear who attacks it with clippers every now and then. Ok, I'm pretty sure she does more than attack it with clippers, it can't be that simple really, can it?  Whatever she does, her efforts pay off with a bounty of lemons each year. 

I usually give them away or cut into rounds and freeze, they make a great addition to any summer punch, cocktail or even simple chilled tap water.

This year I wanted to try something different. There was a preserved lemon recipe on an episode of SBS Food Safari. So with an abundance of lemons and inspired by the recipe, I gave it a go.

You can easily find recipes for preserved lemons. What interested me was that this recipe called for soaking the lemons for three days before the preserving.

The smell of lemon had filled my house, soaking the lemons for three days has really brought out the aroma which is simply delicious. *Note – you need to change the water daily!

So after three days, I proceeded to salt and stack my lemons into their huge jar (next time I will source smaller jars).  Then you need a little patience, you need to safely stow your lemons in a dark cupboard for them to mature. 
They became ready to use just as our cold weather hit, the perfect time for tagines and stews to come back on the home cooking menu.
My first attempt at using them as an accompaniment with a lamb tagine.  I also finely shredded some of the lemon and added to my rice with some currants and mint.
A little goes a long way with preserved lemons so I can't see myself needing to make them again in a hurry, but it was a great way to use up my over supply. And this way I'll be able to give some to The Other Girl.

My next adventures in lemon will be trying out this recipe for lemon poppyseed biscotti!


The Two Girls are keen believers in home grown, home cooked.  Here are our previous posts on #CountryLife in Moonah and Healthy Home Cookin' in Hobart.