Salt-preserved citrus skins

Directions

Give your jar and lid a good wash and make sure they are completely dry inside. Put a layer of cooking salt in the bottom of the jar, about 3 cm (1¼ inches) deep. Each time you squeeze a lemon, orange or lime, flatten the peel with the palm of your hand and press it into the salt, then cover the skins with more salt. You can cut the citrus peel into strips to speed up the preserving process – just make sure all the skins are buried under the salt. As time passes, the salt and citrus peel will compress down and you’ll be able to keep adding more to the jar. The peel will be ready to use after about 6 weeks. When a recipe calls for preserved lemons or citrus peel, you can fish a bit of your salt-preserved citrus skin out of the jar, rinse it or soak it for 30 minutes, then thinly slice it to use in stews, soups, tagines, marinades and dressings. If you’re using a jar with a metal lid, just be mindful that the salt doesn’t reach the top of the jar and corrode the metal. As the citrus peels release their juices, moisture will start to build up at the bottom of the jar – don’t worry about this, as there is so much salt in the jar that no bacteria will be able to grow.

Recipe by Alex Elliott-Howery and Sabine Spindler.