Preserved lemons add intense "lemony" flavor. Try on roast chicken, grilled fish, potatoes, lemon hummus, or mix into pasta and salads.
One of my favorite ways to use them is in my lemon vinaigrette dressing.
Lemons are a staple in my kitchen, and I use both the zest and fresh lemon juice in many of my recipes to add brightness. When you preserve the lemons, they take on an extra "lemony" punch that a squeeze from a lemon can't quite match.
I love lemons. I really, really do. Now I love them even more. 🍋🍋🍋
The hardest part of this recipe is to wait at least three weeks before the preserved lemons are ready to use...
How To Make Preserved Lemons
STEP 1: Cut off the stems and ½" of lemons ends. Slice each lemon lengthwise down but keep attached at the bottom into quarters.
STEP 2: Open each lemon on the plate, and sprinkle sea salt generously over each open lemon.
STEP 3: Place a tablespoon of sea salt and the bay leaves in a clean mason jar. Next, add the salted lemons into the mason jar. It's fine if you have to pack them in, as they will shrink smaller.
STEP 4: Juice remaining lemons and completely cover the cut ones in the jar with lemon juice. Pour any salt or lemon juice from the plate into the jar.
PRO TIP: Leave 1" space from the top of the jar. Be sure all the lemons are pushed down into the juice, or the lemons will spoil.
Let your jar sit for a day, lightly covered with a clean towel or cheesecloth on the counter.
The Next Day
STEP 5: The next day, pour a thin layer of olive oil over the lemons and their juice. Close up your jar. This will help keep them sealed while they preserve.
STEP 6: After a few days, place the jar in the refrigerator allowing them to cure for 3-4 weeks.
Preserved lemons last up to six months in the fridge.
PRO TIP: When you use some of them, start a new clean jar. Place new salted lemons on the bottom, add the already preserved lemons back on top. This makes it easier to get the lemons ready for cooking.
Preserved Lemon Recipes
Try your Preserved Lemons in these delicious recipes.
- classic Morrocan dishes
- roast chicken
- top on grilled fish
- roasted fingerling potatoes
- lemon hummus
- mix chopped into green salads
- toss into grain salads
- add to lemon vinaigrette dressings
- dice finely add to chicken noodle soup!
- add to a chicken pasta dish
- couscous
- lemon olive tapenade
More Lemon Recipes
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Preserved Lemons
Ingredients
Preserved Lemons Ingredients
- 12 lemons Seedless, or Meyer Lemons preferred
- ½ cup coarse kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 fresh bay leaves optional
Instructions
- Cut off the stems and ½" of lemons ends. Slice each lemon lengthwise down but keep attached at the bottom into quarters.
- Open each lemon on a plate, and sprinkle salt generously over each open lemon.
- Place a tablespoon of salt and the bay leaves in a clean mason jar. Next, add the salted lemons into the mason jar. It's fine if you have to pack them in, as they will shrink smaller.
- Juice the remaining lemons and completely cover the cut ones in the jar with lemon juice. Pour any salt or lemon juice from the plate into the jar. Important: Leave 1" space from the top of the jar, be sure all lemons are pushed down into the juice, or the lemons will spoil.
- Let your jar sit for a day, lightly covered with a clean towel or cheesecloth.
The Next Day
- The next day, pour a thin layer of olive oil over the lemons and their juice. Close up your jar. This will help keep them sealed while they preserve. After a few days, put in the refrigerator allowing them to cure for 3-4 weeks.
- Preserved lemons last up to six months in the fridge.
- PRO TIP: When you use some of them, start a new clean jar. Place new salted lemons on the bottom, add the already preserved lemons back on top. This makes it easier to get to the lemons ready for cooking.
When you add fresh lemons to the bottom and already preserved lemons on top, do you still leave the jar out and then add olive oil? Or do you put straight in the fridge because some of them are already preserved?
Thanks for the info! I have a jar on the counter preserving!
Hey Krystle, good question! You can add them at the bottom and pop the jar back in the fridge...main thing is to be sure to have olive oil covering your lemons or they spoil. The ones at the bottom will preserve within a week or two and be ready for recipes! Enjoy!
Finally, they are ready! The wait was killer but it was worth it. Cracked these babies opened today and added them to freshly made hummus. Lemon-y-licious! Can't wait to experiment using these with other dishes.