First of all sterilise your jar – wash in warm soapy water and rinse well. Place in the oven at 180oC for at least 15 minutes and carefully remove from the oven. Let the jar cool.

In the meantime, wash your lemons and remove the stem ends.

Cut the bottoms off of each lemon and cut through the middle being careful to stop before cutting right through. Cut through the top again so that you have made a cross.

In the jar, sprinkle a layer of sea salt. One lemon at a time fill with sea salt and place in the jar. Fit the lemons in the jar as tightly as possible, sprinkling with more sea salt.

To the jar add the juice of two lemons and fill to the top with cooled boiled water. If the lemons are bobbing to the top of the jar it is a good idea to put a place or small jar on top of the lemons to keep them submerged.

Leave on the counter top, turning the jar every couple of days, for about three weeks. The jar can be left in the fridge after that for up to six months as long as the preserved lemons are kept submerged.

When you are ready to use the preserved lemons cut the pith from the skin and discard. Wash the excess salt off the skin and use in tagines and salads.