Salt lemons - a portion of sunshine

Lemons are a gift from the gods. I use them in many different ways - which is why I was a little overconfident when I went shopping for the holidays. I bought them in large quantities so that I wouldn't get into a lemon emergency (after all, you need them for gin and tonic too). When I looked in the vegetable drawer, I realized that I might not be able to consume this quantity fresh before they expire... so good advice is expensive.

Well, not that expensive. I remembered a conversation with a top Austrian chef on my terrace (all praise and thanks to my daughter and her connections to high-end gastronomy 🙏) who told me about his passion for salted lemons in summer and raved about their many uses.

Now I've been trying to figure out how to turn my misery into virtue.

It is important to note that although the whole lemon is fermented, it is mostly the peel that is used (this is also what the suggested uses refer to), but of course the pulp and brine can also contribute to a good flavor.

Use:

• in salads
• chopped with (Greek) yogurt or with herbs and olive oil as a sauce for grilled food, for example
• in stews
• in soups
• in risotto and pasta dishes

So, my dears, get to work!

As always, I recommend a heart-warming playlist, a dressy apron and off you go!

You need:

• 8 lemons
• 750 g coarse sea salt
• a suitable glass jar with a lid (large enough for the lemons to fit inside)
• (in one week) 2 tablespoons olive oil

🍋 First, the glass must be washed out hot and dried thoroughly.

🍋 Cover the bottom of the jar with salt.

🍋 Cut the lemons crosswise up to approx. 2 cm above the end (they should not fall apart).

🍋 Then fill the lemon with salt (preferably with a teaspoon in the middle of the cut surfaces) and squeeze it together.

🍋 Squeeze the filled lemons as tightly as possible into the jar and fill the gaps completely with salt (this works best layer by layer).

🍋 From now on, patience is required (for me a school for life), because the whole glory now has to go into the fridge for a week (during which you should shake it 2-3 times).

🍋 After this time, free the lemons and squeeze them so that as much juice as possible comes out. In my experience, this is enough to cover the lemons (peel). If not, add enough lemon juice so that everything is completely covered with brine.

🍋 Also add 2 tablespoons of olive oil.

🍋 Now it's time to be PATIENT, because the final fermentation process takes at least 4 weeks (the longer, the more aromatic the lemons become). They need to be kept cool for this - so put them in the cellar or fridge!

But I can assure you, the wait will be rewarded!!! 💚 Have fun! 🍋