Tag: lemons

Preserved Lemons: A Two-Ingredient Recipe – Gardenista
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Recently, when I made limoncello from the plump fruit of our little Meyer lemon tree, I had leftovers: seven perfect and precious—but naked— lemons. Their skins were soaking in vodka (see last week’s story for the limoncello recipe). What to do with the juice? Freezing it was one option, but I wanted to salt-preserve the rest of the crop, and this juice would be an added luxury. You can make preserved lemons with just fruit and salt, but a top-up of lemon juice makes this versatile condiment and slow ferment even better: a little of the salty syrup from the preserved lemons makes fantastic vinaigrettes and drizzles for salads and seafood crudos, and a spoonful added to roasting vegetables or slow winter stews adds eye-widening depth of flavor. It’s also very good on the rim of a holiday cocktail glass.

Above: Destined to become preserved lemons, our crop will last at least a year.

If you use store-bought fruit, whether organically grown or not, wash them well and then dry them. Cut them from the tip to the stem end into quarters, but leave them attached at the base (cutting them all the way does not alter their flavor so don’t panic if you over-slice a couple).

Above: Use sea salt or rock salt to make preserved lemons.

Above: The salted lemons are packed into a clean jar.

Above: The peeled lemons I used for limoncello are now squeezed for their juice.

To juice lemons I like to use either a stainless steel or glass citrus juicer that separates seeds and juice. A stainless citrus juicer is $16.99 from Amazon.

Above: The juice is added to the jar.

Above: Over the next few days the salt will draw out additional juice from the cut lemons, to cover them.

Preserved Lemons

This method works for any quantity of lemons. Preserve one or 20. Meyers are very thin-skinned, but thicker-skinned lemons work very well, too.
- 8 Meyer lemons
- Fine sea salt
- Juice of 7 to 8 lemons
- 4 fresh bay leaves (optional)
Wash and dry the lemons. Cut each fruit into quarters from the tip to the stem end, but keeping the stem end intact. Place the fruit on a plate. Add a tablespoonful of salt to the center of each lemon. Some will fall out, don’t worry. When your lemons are filled pack them into a clean jar or jars that can hold them comfortably. Add more salt, shaking it down, to reach about one quarter of the way up the jar. Pour in the juice. Add the bay leaves, if using. Cover with a lid and give the jar a good shake. Loosen the lid again. Leave out at room temperature for at least a month. You’ll notice the liquid level rising as juice is drawn from the lemons. If any lemons remain uncovered after a few days, add more salt to the jar. Preserved lemons keep indefinitely, becoming softer as they mature.

To use them, rinse them off and chop finely, you can use both the lemons kin and the soft pulp (just discard the seeds).

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December 8, 2025
Limoncello Recipe: A Recipe Using Vodka and Meyer Lemons
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It is early winter and our Meyer lemon tree is now indoors in a sunny window, to overwinter until mid-spring. The lemons are so ripe and perfumed that we smell them the second we walk into the apartment. This year, I decided to make limoncello with their aromatic zest. It will be ready for an ice-cold toast at New Year, and its bottle will live in the freezer for next summer’s outdoor evenings. (I use the peeled lemons’ juice to add to salt preserved-lemons, but that is another story.)

Here’s how I make limoncello, using fruit that took over half a year to ripen, from blossoms that smelled like heaven seven months ago.

Above: The Meyer lemon lost some leaves late in the season, but its fruits are strongly perfumed.

Our Meyer lemon tree had a rough season outdoors, and as a result the lemons are smaller than usual. There were a couple of dry months during a very hot summer, and I also re-potted it while it was in fruit (I realized that the small tree was root-bound, which was the reason it was drinking so fast and then staying parched). I was a bad lemon parent. (But at least it wasn’t overwatered, a practice that leads to even worse long-term decline.)

Above: Window-to-table lemons, homegrown and organic.

One of the satisfactions in growing your own citrus is knowing what is on it and in it. There are no waxy coatings on the zest and I never spray the fruit with pesticides (I do use Neem oil on the leaves to control scale insects when they appear, which they do without fail: See my story about growing indoor citrus for more care tips.)

Above: For limoncello, lemon zest is soaked in hard clear liquor to extract maximum oils and flavor.

Limoncello is a Sicilian liqueur that is sipped as a digestif at the end of meals in small, cold increments. It is a simple but heady combination of lemon zest, high proof clear grain alcohol, water, and sugar. Many recipes call for Everclear or another super-high proof spirit, but I use a classic vodka, as well as less water in the sugar syrup that is added later.

Above: My zesting with a vegetable peeler is imperfect; you could also microplane the zest.

Above: That’s my neutral vodka of choice; later it is diluted with a sugar syrup.

Above: I add 2 cups of vodka to the peels of seven Meyer lemons.

Above: The peels and vodka infuse for two weeks.

While I associate the drinking of limoncello with summer and long lunches under the shade of a tall tree in a garden far away, the time to make it is now: it is citrus season. We may be used to year-round lemons at supermarkets, but if you grow your own, or relish the enjoyment of a local crop, this limoncello-making ritual is sweet (well, sweetly sour) and can be appreciated many months later.

Limoncello is also delicious added to savory roasting root vegetables, just before they come out of the oven; poured over a lemon granita or sorbe; or drizzled over a still-warm cake.

Above: Freezer-chilled limoncello in tiny, chilled glasses.

Limoncello

My recipe uses slightly less sugar than some, since I appreciate the extra, lemony kick in each mouthful. It is still plenty sweet. You may of course use another type of lemon to make the liqueur, and if they are store-bought, scrub them to remove any residues. Dry well. If you have an excess of oranges, you can make arancello in the same way, using their zest.
- 7 Meyer lemons
- 2 cups vodka
- 7 ounces sugar
- 1 cup water
Peel or microplane the zest from the lemons, taking care to remove as little bitter pith as possible. Pour 2 cups of vodka into a clean jar and add the lemon zest. Cover, and leave out at room temperature for two weeks.

After two weeks, strain the liquid, which will now be a pale yellow. In a saucepan, mix the sugar and water and bring to a boil to make a syrup. When it is completely cool, mix it with the lemon extract. Decant into a bottle, and keep in the freezer. Serve in small, chilled glasses.

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December 5, 2025
Chicken Francese
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This recipe for Chicken Francese is as elegant as it is easy to make.

Chicken cutlets are lightly breaded and fried and then simmered in a savory lemon wine sauce.

What is Chicken Francese?

This classic Italian-American recipe (also known as Chicken Francaise) is made with tender chicken cutlets fried in a crispy breading served with a buttery white wine lemon sauce. If you like chicken piccata, you’ll love this dish too!
It’s an easy one-skillet dish that goes from the stovetop to the table in minutes, including the sauce!

You’ll find it’s surprisingly easy to make and can be served over pasta, rice, or mashed potatoes.

Double up the recipe and enjoy it all week long for dinners and lunches!
What You’ll Need For Chicken Francese…

Chicken: I use chicken cutlets or boneless skinless chicken breasts in this recipe. Chicken thighs are a great option as well.

Breading: This basic breading has lemon juice and parmesan cheese. Feel free to use a gluten-free flour blend or crushed pork rinds for a low-carb coating.

Sauce: For the best flavor, zest and squeeze lemon juice from fresh lemons. Grate parmesan yourself since pre-shredded parmesan has anti-caking agents that prevent it from melting. White wine balances out all the flavors for a perfectly savory sauce.

Variations
- Add spinach, sliced mushrooms, capers, or sundried tomatoes to the sauce in Step 9.
- Fresh herbs like oregano, thyme, rosemary, or basil will add an aromatic and elegant touch to Chicken Francese.
- White wine can be replaced with extra chicken broth if that’s all you have.
How to Make Chicken Francaise
1. Prepare the lemons and combine zest and flour.
2. Whisk egg, lemon juice, seasonings, and parmesan.
3. Dredge chicken pieces in both mixtures, pan fry, (recipe below), and transfer to a plate.
4. Cook lemon slices and transfer to the plate with chicken.
5. Cook garlic and flour, whisk in wine, broth, and lemon.
6. Return chicken and lemon slices to the skillet and simmer.
What to Serve with Chicken Francese

Simple entrees call for simple sides. Roasted asparagus or butternut squash and some fluffy dinner rolls are perfect for soaking up all that tasty sauce!

Storing Chicken Francese
- Keep leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat chicken and sauce in the microwave or stovetop on medium-low heat.
- Enjoy leftover Chicken Francese hot or added to a cold chicken salad. Or slice and top onto a Caesar salad.
- Freeze cooled chicken separately from the sauce in quart-sized zippered bags for up to one month and thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
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Chicken Francese

Chicken Francese is a one-skillet entree featuring crispy breaded chicken cutlets simmered in a lemon white wine sauce.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

If using chicken breasts, cut each chicken breast in half crosswise to form 4 thinner breasts. Pound chicken to ¼-inch thickness.

Zest 1 teaspoon of lemon zest. Slice half of one of the lemons into ¼-inch slices. Juice the remaining lemon to make 4 tablespoons lemon juice.

On a shallow plate, whisk lemon zest and flour.

In a medium bowl, whisk the egg, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, salt and black pepper. Stir in the parmesan cheese.

Dredge the chicken in the flour mixture and then dip into the egg mixture (reserve leftover flour mixture for the sauce).

Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken to the skillet, in batches if needed, and brown for 3 minutes per side or until the chicken is cooked through. Transfer to a plate.

For the sauce, add the butter to the skillet and add the lemon slices. Cook over medium-high heat until the slices begin to brown, about 3 minutes. Transfer to the plate with the chicken.

Reduce the heat to medium, add the garlic to the skillet, and cook for 30 seconds. Add 2 tablespoons of the flour mixture and cook for 1 minute more.

Gradually add the wine, broth, and 2 tablespoons lemon juice (more to taste) and let simmer for 4 to 5 minutes or until slightly thickened. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Add the lemon slices and chicken breasts, along with juices, back to the skillet and let simmer 1 minute more to heat the chicken through.

Store leftovers in a covered container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat chicken and sauce in the microwave or on the stovetop over medium-low heat.
Freeze chicken separately from the sauce in zip-top bags for up to one month. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.

Calories: 443 | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 42g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 171mg | Sodium: 880mg | Potassium: 790mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 353IU | Vitamin C: 31mg | Calcium: 96mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

Course Chicken, Dinner, Entree, Main Course

Cuisine American, Italian

© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
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Holly Nilsson

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September 4, 2024