PRESERVED MEYER LEMONS

Recipe by Courtney McDonald
Makes 1 quart jar

Ingredients:
-5 Meyer lemons
-1 mandarin
-1/3 cup kosher salt
-2 whole star anise
-1 cinnamon stick
-2/3 cup fresh Meyer lemon juice (from about 5 lemons)

Scrub lemons and mandarin and dry well. Quarter lemons and mandarin lengthwise, leaving 1/2 inch at bottom intact. Toss fruit with salt and spices and transfer to a sterile quart-sized mason jar. Use a wooden spoon to press lemons to fit. Add lemon juice and any remaining salt. Seal jar tightly and shake to combine. Let stand at room temperature for 3 days, shaking jar each day. Transfer to refrigerator for 3 weeks until rinds are soft. Rinse before using the rind, and pulp can be used in salad dressings and marinades.