First step is to make sure you have a very clean jar to start with. You want a canning style one, so any CO2 gas that gets created can easily escape out of the lid. Then you want to clean your lemons, and chili pepper if you’re using one. And be sure to trim off the ends. This just helps to make sure that no bad bacteria or unwanted mold starts growing in there.

Next, you want to quarter your lemons almost all the way through, try to leave one end still intact. It just makes it easier to stuff the center of the lemon with salt and then kinda close it back up, and shove the whole lemon in your jar.

Add a big pinch of salt to the bottom of your jar, then take your lemons and stuff them with salt, about a tablespoon each. The measurement isn’t too exact, you just want to make sure they’re generously covered in salt. Then stuff ‘em on in your jar and push them down to release some of their juice. If you’re using them, scatter your spices in there too. Once your jar is filled up as much as you can with with lemons add the juice of another lemon if you need it. When you screw on the lid, you want to try and have as little air as possible. Next, turn your jar upside down and shake a little to get any extra salt dissolved and incorporated amongst your lemons. Don’t worry if you still have a bunch of undissolved salt sitting at the bottom. It’ll dissolve over time.

Then all you need to do is place your jar in a cool, darkish spot and wait. You occasionally wanna check on it, make sure no weird mold stuff is happening, and if the liquid level goes down drastically, as the lemons settle, top it off with some more fresh lemon juice. You want to wait around 3-4 weeks.

When you’ve finished waiting and are ready to use those lemons, just pop open the jar, pull out a lemon and slice off the amount you want to use. You want to rinse it to remove any excess salt, and cut out the fruity inside stuff. You really only want to use the skin. It has the most flavor, the fruit bit just tends to be overly salty.

Store your finished jar of preserved lemons in the fridge and maybe start on a new batch depending on how fast your think you’ll use them!