Cured Meyer Lemons

Preserved Meyer Lemons

We are lucky to have Meyer lemons here in Austin. In fact, the majority of Meyers for the country grow in the Rio Grande Valley. They have a wonderful perfume and a more delicate flavor than a standard lemon. Though they fruit almost year round, they hit their stride in Winter. This is a good time to preserve them for quick use year round.

Handful of Salt

Salt has transformative power. Just ask the Egyptians, who were the first culture to widely use it for preservation. Go ahead, I’ll wait.

To preserve lemons, all you need is salt. But that’s no fun. I add a little minced shallot, garlic and sugar. Slice the lemons and cover each layer with a little of the mixture. After a week, they will turn less aggressive and take on a savory quality. A perfect condiment for roasted chicken or fish. Or, minced in a salad dressing or sauce. After you use a little, cover the remainder with some olive oil. The storage potential is almost indefinite.

Meyer Lemons

I big shout-out to my neighbor down the street whom I borrowed these from. A mature Meyer tree in their front yard litters the ground with half rotting fruit. If we could all be so lucky.

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7 replies on “Cured Meyer Lemons”

  1. That’s what we’re doing this weekend! We just got “Charcuterie” and there’s a whole bunch of preserved/confited stuff in there.

    Quick question–should you keep them in the pantry or fridge?

    And what salt did you use? Kinda looks wetter than kosher salt, but it may be…can’t tell.

  2. I keep them in the fridge. I buy bulk sea salt at Central Market. The moisture is from the shallots. The salt sucks it right out. Have fun!

  3. This Arctic Chill is killing my crop-In fact I am on my way out right now to finish picking the rest of them off my tree. I made the preserved ones at Christmas and they are curing as we speak. Hubby made his annual batch of Limoncello on New Years, can’t wait to sip it come SXSW. I did not season mine with shallots and garlic and sugar but that looks fantastic, think I’m going to have to try that with the next round. Great pics thanks for sharing about these little treasures I’m always trying to educate friends on Meyers.

  4. method question. did you ferment on the counter, then refrigerate? if so, how long? i have 4 meyer lemons (count ’em, 4!) that i grew myself and am desperate to do this right, based on horror stories from others.

  5. If you want to be extra safe, start and keep in the refrigerator. They will just take longer to preserve. I started mine in my garage when it was cooler out. Just don’t let them get over 60 degrees or the bad bacteria will start to over run the good bacteria.

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