Preserved Lemons - Moroccan Style

Lemons lose their sharpness when preserved in salt. The unique flavor and silken texture that develops when you use this technique is characteristic of Moroccan cooking.

8 tbsp sea salt	9 juicy, thin skinned lemons
olive oil

Put 1 tablespoon of sea salt into the bottom of a large, pre sterilized jar. Holding a lemon over a plate to catch any juice, cut it in quarters, but do not cut all the way through -  stop about a ½ in ( 12 mm ) from the end, so that the quarters are still joined. Remove any pips. Pack 1 tablespoon of sea salt into the lemon, then close the sections up again around the salt and put the lemon in the jar. Repeat for 6 more lemons packing them in tightly, and pressing down each layer down hard to expel any air before adding the next layer until the jar is full. Squeeze the remaining 2 lemons to extract all the juice and pour into the jar. Sprinkle with more coarse salt and top up the jar to about ½ an inch (12 mm) from the top. Add a ¼ inch layer of olive on the top when cool.

Once opened these lemons will keep, un-refrigerated for up to 1 year.