Preserved Lemons

A popular ingredient for many middle-eastern and mediterranean dishes, this isn't something you can just walk into a supermarket and buy.

They take about a month of sitting around in a jar before you can do much with them, which gives you plenty of time to cull some recipes to try.  I will link to a few at the bottom of this article.

What you will need:

Approximately 2 pounds of large, unblemished lemons.
Quart glass jar
Glass dish (to prepare the lemons.  You want to save all the juice, so it will have to hold about a pint of liquid)
Kosher Salt

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Clean and scrub the lemons thoroughly.  The only part of the preserved lemon you are going to use is the peel, so its important that its clean and unblemished for good results.

Cut off and discard the stem end of about 4 lemons (to start with - you likely won't fit two pounds of lemons into one jar).  Cut them into quarters length wise.  Squeeze as much juice as possible out of each slice into the glass bowl.

Now for each slice, rub a healthy pinch (~1/4 tsp per slice, give or take) into the flesh, then drop them into the glass jar.   You'll start running out of room after about 4 lemons.  You don't want them all the way to the brim, and they are supposed to be well packed, so don't be afraid of squishing them down into the jar to make room.   You don't want them packed so tight that the juice you are about to add doesn't get to every nook and cranny.  I stopped after 5 lemons.  As  you can see from the picture below, the jar is pretty packed.

Now add the salty lemon juice from the bowl to the jar, covering the lemon slices completely.  If you don't have enough (I didn't) you will have to use some of those extra lemons.  Add their juice to the jar until its pretty much filled.

Seal the jar (you don't need to process it) and set it somewhere for a month.   When the mood hits you, turn and shake the jar from time to time.  When that first month is gone, you can start cooking with your preserved lemon!

Officially, these will keep in the fridge for about 6 months, though I have read stories of them being used after 2 years refrigeration with good results.

Enjoy!

Links to some recipes:
http://moroccanfood.about.com/od/Recipe-Lists/tp/Moroccan-Recipes-With-Preserved-Lemon.htm
http://www.food.com/cookbook/recipes-using-preserved-lemons-94074
http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2009/04/the-secret-ingredient-preserved-lemons-moroccan-recipes.html

I am sure you can find tons more.  I have the utmost confidence in your ambition ;)