Preparing the Lemons

Wash the lemons with hot water. Rub them dry with a kitchen towel.

Cut four lemons into slices about 4-5 millimeters (approx. 2 inches) thick.

Remove the seeds and discard the end pieces.

Peel the remaining two lemons with a potato peeler and add the peel to the lemon slices.

Squeeze the juice out of these two peeled lemons with a citrus juicer.

Fill a Preserving Jar

Mix the salt and sugar in a bowl.

Add two spoonfuls of the salt mixture to the preserving jar and start layering.

Take the lemon slices/peel and alternate layers of lemon and salt mixture (2-4 teaspoons per layer).

Herbs or Spices

If desired, you can add washed herbs and peppercorns in between.

Glass Fermentation Weights (or a Small Glass Bowl)

Fill the jar almost to the top, pour in the lemon juice, and press the fruit under the liquid using glass weights. Ensure the lemons stay submerged in brine to prevent mold! 

If there is not enough liquid to fully cover the lemons right away, close the jar anyway and wait a day. The salt will gradually draw the liquid out of the flesh, which should cover the lemons in their own juice. If it still isn’t enough liquid, you can top up with hot water until all the slices are completely covered under the brine.

Monitoring the Fermentation Process for around 3 to 4 weeks:

Swirl the jar every 3 days to ensure the liquid is well distributed and the lemons are completely covered by the brine. Also, you should open the lid of the jar very briefly every other day to release excess CO₂.

After around 3 to 4 weeks, fermentation is complete, so you can stop opening the lid regularly.

Storage and Shelf Life:

After fermentation, store the lemons in the refrigerator. It is still important to keep the lemons completely covered by the brine. Fermented lemons can be stored for several months, but it is always safe to check for any signs of them turning bad, like weird taste, smell, or visible changes like mold! When in doubt, throw it out!

Preserved Lemon Purée:

Take the entire batch of preserved lemons, including the brine, and blend everything into a smooth paste using an immersion blender.
Transfer the purée to a clean jar with a screw-top lid.
Pour a thin layer of olive oil on top.
Store the jar in the fridge.