Preserved Lemons

Lemons
Coarse salt
Coriander seeds, bay leaf, dried chili, cinnamon stick (as desired)

Scrub the lemons with a vegetable brush and dry them.

Cut off the little rounded bit at the stem end if there's a hard little piece of the stem attached.  From the other end of the lemon, make a large cut by slicing lengthwise downward, stopping about 1 inch from the bottom, then making another downward slice, so you've incised the lemon with an X shape.

Pack coarse salt into the lemon where you made the incisions.  Don't be skimpy with the salt; use about 1 tablespoon per lemon.

Put the salt-filled lemons in a clean, large glass jar with a tight-fitting lid.  Add a few coriander seeds, a bay leaf, a dried chili, and a cinnamon stick if you want (or any combination of these).

Press the lemons very firmly in the jar to get the juices flowing.  Cover and let stand overnight.

The next day, do the same, pressing the lemons down, encouraging them to release more juice as they start to soften.  Repeat for 2 to 3 days until the lemons are completely covered with liquid.  If your lemons aren't very juicy, add more freshly-squeezed lemon juice until they are submerged.

After one month, when the preserved lemons are soft, they are ready to use.  Store the lemons in the refrigerator, where they will keep for at least 6 months.  Rinse before using to remove excess salt.

To use: Remove the lemons from the liquid and rinse.  Split in half and scrape out the pulp.  Slice the lemon peels into thin strips or dice finely.  You may wish to press the pulp through a sieve to obtain the tasty juice, which can be used for flavoring as well.

From DavidLebovitz.com