It has always puzzled me why we don’t preserve lemons the way the North Africans do and I can only come up with the conclusion that Greece has plenty of them.

Lemon trees need water to be juicy and make plenty of fruit and North Africa does not have these conditions. I will hazard a guess that conditions create need and there is a need to preserve the mighty lemon when it is not readily available because of climatic reasons.

So having been handed a box of lemons, I decided to make my version of Moroccan preserved lemons. It is a reasonably easy recipe – it just needs some organisation in the kitchen, as you must sterilise the jars and lids.

Ingredients:
This amount makes three jars, approximately 18cm high x 10cm diameter.
9 – 10 firm lemons (the thick skinned are the best for preserving)
1 cup sea salt
3 – 4 cinnamon sticks
4 teaspoons coriander seeds
1 and 1/2 black peppercorns
40 whole cloves (this number is approximate)
7 cups water
Method:
1. Wash the lemons, scrubbing lightly with a hard brush.
2. Fill a large saucepan with water and bring to the boil. Add the whole lemons and cook for 3 minutes.
3. Remove the lemons with a slotted spoon and plunge into cold water.
4. Empty and rinse out the saucepan and combine water, salt, cinnamon sticks, coriander seeds, and peppercorns in the same saucepan and bring this mixture to a boil.
5. Turn off the heat and stand aside.
6. Pat the cooled lemons dry.
7. Look at the lemon as if in quarters as you will cut it later.
8. In each quarter pierce with a skewer 3 holes in a row and place a clove in each hole.
9. Now cut into quarters.

Note: I tried cutting them in quarters first and then piercing them but I was losing all the juice.
10. Put the lemons quarters into sterilised jars.
11. Reheat the spice mixture to just boiling point.
12. Pour on top of lemons, tucking a cinnamon stick in each and make sure that all the spices are evenly distributed. Seal with sterilised lid.

Note: Let stand for six weeks before using. Once opened the lemons will keep in the fridge for several months. I use these lemons in baked dishes of chicken and any meat, especially lamb.