When we visited my parents in Canberra last week, we picked a huge box of lemons from their tree. And there were still so many more left on the tree. Now I understand why in the old days, people would spend some much time canning and preserving fruit. It's hard to see all that goodness going to waste. And unlike the sweet stone fruits of peaches, cherries and nectarines, the birds aren't all that interested in lemons!

I had the brain wave of making preserved lemons with the huge supply. I've never tasted them but I did remember seeing a recipe calling for them some time back. They're used in Moroccan cooking which I'm keen to explore in the future. I figure if I have preserved lemons on hand, it's all the more likely!

We used a recipe from Stephanie Alexander's The Cook's Companion which my mum had in her cookbook collection. It was very simple and a lot like making sauerkraut. It was the first time I've sterilised bottles which was exciting. I love a goof first! Now we just have to wait for month to taste the results. Fingers crossed it works!