Meyer lemons are a cross between a standard lemon and a mandarin orange. They are reputed to have a sweeter, more complex flavor than a lemon, and are said to take your cooking to new heights of lemony deliciousness. Over the years I've seen many recipes that call for Meyer lemons, but I have never been able to find them in stores, not even the fancy gourmet shops where they would be like $3 each.

Well, a few months ago I was visiting a friend who lives in Sonoma, CA, and I freaked out over this beautiful lemon tree growing in front of her house. It's practically like a weed to her, she does nothing to it, and it just produces hundreds of perfect lemons... meyer lemons. She can't even give them away, she has so many.

Now where I come from, we experience a phenomenon similar to this in late August, but it's usually with zucchini, which are delicious also, but not quite as glamorous as meyer lemons. I still can't get over the fact that people can grow perfect citrus fruit in their back yard without even trying, like my cousin in Arizona whose tree produces the most delicious grapefruits ever.

Anyway, this friend mailed me a big old box of yellow beauties, so I decided to make preserved lemons. I mean, I wanted to make a tart, but I knew I would just eat it all and go into a sugar coma, so I decided to go this route so that I can enjoy the lemons for a whole year. Plus, I've been really drawn to moroccan-inspired recipes like this Moroccan Lemon Chicken with Preserved Meyer Lemons and Green Olives from Epicurious.com. Mmmm! I've also seen a lot of dishes in restaurants lately along the lines of simple grilled fish with a few slices of preserved lemon on top, which I would love to be able to replicate at home.

I used this recipe, which requires nothing more than lemons, course salt and olive oil. First, you blanch the lemons in boiling water for 5 minutes:



Once they're cool enough to handle, slice them, toss them in the salt, pack them in jars, and add enough additional lemon juice to cover. The recipe says to slice them in wedges, but I also tried a small batch of slicing them in thin rounds, which is how I see them in restaurants. I think it will have an effect on the texture of the rind and flesh, so it will be interesting to see which I like better:



Next, they sit out on the counter for five days, while I shake the jars gently once each day. After five days, top them off with olive oil, and they'll keep in the fridge for a full year. Moroccan Lemon Chicken with Preserved Meyer Lemons and Green Olives, here I come!