Of all foods out there available to indulge in, I am drawn to fish tacos – I know that sounds random, given there are a million other foods one could love (chocolate? cookies?)
I’m always looking for ways to dress up my fish tacos that I eat with rice, and usually I do that with a squeeze of lemon or lime. Here in Arizona, citrus grows incredibly well and it’s not uncommon to live by a person who has not just one, but several citrus trees in their yard.
And if you are lucky, those trees *might* hang over the back of your wall and drop in your backyard… or better yet, be reachable by your kids who like to pull down the beautifully yellow fruits once they are ready.
I will never forget two years ago when I had a gigantic rubbermaid tub full of organic, yellow lemons in my kitchen just begging to be used. One can only eat so many lemon bars and fish tacos before they get really tired of the lack of variety…
These lemons aren’t really preserved – if anything, they are a condiment that can be prepared in just a matter of 2-3 hours.
- Wash the lemons.
- Dice your lemons, keep the pith and skin, but pick out the seeds.
- Place the lemons with their natural juice in a bowl.
- Add salt, and sugar, toss to combine.
- Shovel them into a large, wide-mouth quart canning jar.
- Let sit at room temp for a few hours, turning upside down to give it a good shake every time you walk by it.
These lemons are a cross of bright, lemony and salty – perfect to scoop on your next fish taco. It’s also wonderful to scoop on regular steamed fish, your salad, a bed of rice, or even on a fresh bowl of homemade yogurt.
Not to mention dicing lemons is truly just easy stuff – in a matter of minutes you can have 4 or 5 diced and ready to go, and a kitchen that smells beautiful.
My quart jar of lemons didn’t last only but a week before I was able to use them up ~ after the initial stint at room temperature, I threw the jar in the fridge and pulled out at what seemed like every meal.
Yours might even last longer depending on how frequently you find yourself pulling the jar out for more.
If you don’t have a lemon tree and can’t borrow lemons from neighbors, it’s always best to pick up organic lemons at the grocery store or farmers market – regular lemons tend to have a waxy coating on them that you may not particularly want to have in your finished product.
With just a few simple ingredients, throw together these preserved lemons to dress up your favorite dish - whether seafood, rice & more.
Ingredients
- 5 organic lemons, washed well
- 2 Tbsp organic cane sugar
- 1 Tbsp kosher salt
Instructions
- Dice your lemons - pick out the seeds and toss. Keep the pith and pulp.
- Finely dice and throw in a bowl along with the lemon juice from the dicing.
- Add the salt and sugar - stir to toss. Ladle into a large, quart canning jar with a lid and canning ring. Allow to sit, at room temp, for 2-3 hours. Flip and shake every time you walk by.
- After that time, place in the refrigerator. Use as a condiment for your favorite dish (seafood, rice, etc.)
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