Preserved Lemon Puree

I never have lemons when I need them, which is a painful point for me because I love lemon zest to make pasta al limon, lemon butter pasta, Greek avgolemono (lemon egg soup)—I either don’t use them up quick enough and they go moldy or I use them up too quick. Either way the eventual problem is that I just don’t have what I need when I need it. Lemon pepper and store bought lemon juice just isn’t the same.

Here comes this really simple way to preserve lemons for cooking—lemon puree with a salt brine. I slice the lemons, remove the seeds, puree (peel and all) in a blender, and add salt. Some people like to let it ferment but I keep it in the fridge because I don’t always trust my fermenting ability. This way I just have to take a spoonful whenever I need that lemon-y goodness.

Always use glass to preserve the flavor. There are versions that included herbs and spices, but I just want a simple lemon base.

Ingredients

• 4 lemons
• 1/4 cup kosher salt
• Mason Jar

1. Wash the lemons and slice into quarter inch thick slices.
2. Add salt and blend until coarsely pureed in the food processor.
3. Store in a glass jar in your fridge.