citron confit

I harvested a couple of lemons from this particular neighbourhood tree I've had my eyes on. These lemons are unlike the common ones found at the store. Rather, these are perfectly round and have an orangey tinge. They're the perfect type of lemon for making preserved lemons à la Moroccan, citron confit, because they're a little bit sweet and have a deeper taste. 

The type of lemon that's supposed to be used is the bergamot, but beware of this translational faux amis: they're not the same as the English language bergamot orange. Instead, bergamot are [more or less] Citrus limetta Risso, which is also a cross between lemon and a type of orange. The lemons I've got might be these, or they might be Meyer lemons (lemon x mandarine or orange). Given the Australian suburban setting, I'm going to assume the latter. In any case, Meyer lemons are so much tastier than Eureka lemons (the common ones).

2 Meyer lemons
sea salt**

I eyeballed it again this time, but perhaps going for a 2% of weight would be a good idea. The last time I made this, it was much too salty.

There's a neat Moroccan way to cut and salt the lemons (open wedges, a spoonful of salt for each cut), or squish them into the right-sized jar and make sure its juices are covering the lot. 

Start date: 9 August 2020