This recipe combines lemon zest from fresh lemons and coarse sea salt to create a versatile finishing salt with vibrant flavor. Since this recipe only uses lemon zest, not lemon juice, you won’t need a dehydrator to make it. The salt dries naturally overnight, and the lemon zest shrinks, leaving tiny bursts of bright lemon flavor.
We love to serve this salt alongside fish, but we also add it to salad dressings and sauces, as it’s a great way to add a little pop of flavor.
Tray or baking tray to spread out the salt on. -You can line the tray with parchment paper if you like.
Airtight jar for storage
Ingredients
1Lemon – I use regular lemons. Meyer lemons are known for their sweetness and you can use them if you prefer.
½Cup Salt – preferably coarse ground natural sea salt. Table salt works but often tastes a little saltier and can overpower the lemon flavor. So you may want to adjust the amount of lemon rind and add more if necessary
Instructions
Wash and dry the lemon. Zest the lemon using a fine grater, try to avoid the white pith as it can add a bitter taste to your salt.
Measure out salt into a small bowl and add zested lemon. Mix thoroughly, rubbing the salt and lemon zest between your fingers for a couple of minutes to disperse the lemon flavor.
Spread the salt on a tray or baking sheet and leave to dry overnight.Depending on the humidity where you live, it may take a little longer to fully dehydrate. You'll know it's ready when the lemon zest has shrunk significantly and become hard.
Use your fingers or a pestle and mortar to break up any clumps gently. Transfer to an airtight container.
Notes
Store your lemon salt in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a year or longer. Serving suggestionsUse this vibrant salt as a finishing salt for savory dishes like fish, roasted chicken, or vegetables.It also tastes great over a fresh salad or added to salad dressing!This salt goes particularly well with all kinds of fish. Sprinkle it anywhere you might add a splash of lemon juice. For example, on top of cooked fish, or one of my favorite ways to use it, is to mix it with some yogurt and a little fresh dill for a super quick sauce with a unique flavor, perfect for fish dishes.You can even use it to line cocktail rims!! Just run a lemon slice along the rim of a cocktail glass, then dip the rim into the lemon salt. It looks impressive and tastes great!