Wash and rinse a 1 litre jar and lid. Dry well with a clean tea towel.

Scrub the lemons, rinse and dry well. 

Cut 6 of the lemons into quarters, lengthwise. 

Spoon 2 tablespoons of salt into the jar. Pour the rest into a large bowl.

Rub each cut side of the quartered lemons in the salt bowl and begin to pack inside the jar. 

Arrange the lemon quarters in layers distributing the bay leaves, juniper berries and extra salt evenly among the layers. Push down the lemons as you go with the end of a rolling pin or a small ramekin, to release their juice. 

Finish with some more salt, leave space at the top (3 inches or so).

Halve and juice the remaining lemons. Pour over the lemons and salt making sure the lemons are fully submerged (I like to weigh down the lemons with a small plate or glass weight to fully submerge them). 

Seal the jar and set in a cool, dark place for 4 weeks.

For the first 2 weeks, shake the share every day, checking that the citrus are still submerged under the briny liquid.

At the end of the 2 weeks, open the jar and pour just enough extra virgin olive oil to cover. This will act as a seal and prevent any mould from forming.

Return the jar to a cool, dark place for a further 2 weeks (you don’t need to shake the jar during this time).

After 4 weeks, open the jar and test the lemons. They are ready when the flesh is tender and almost translucent, but not mushy. You can continue to cure the citrus for a further 3 months for extra depth of flavour, if you can wait that long.

They will keep for up to a year in a cool, dark place. Each time you remove a preserved lemon quarter from the jar, replenish with a little extra salt and lemon juice to keep the citrus covered.

To use, rinse the preserved lemon briefly in water to remove any excess salt. You can eat the whole fruit, rind and flesh, finely chopped.