• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Delicious Table ® logo

  • All Recipes
  • Holiday Recipes
    • July 4th, Memorial, & Labor Day
    • Halloween Party Food
    • Thanksgiving Dinner Recipes
    • Christmas Recipes
    • New Year's Eve Recipes
    • Superbowl Party & Game Day Food
    • Valentine's Day Recipes
    • St. Patrick's Day Recipes
    • Easter Recipes
    • Cinco de Mayo Recipes
    • Mother's Day Recipes
  • Party Food
    • Cookout Foods
    • BBQ And Grilling
    • Holiday Recipes
    • Game Day Food
    • Appetizers & Snacks
  • Shop Kitchen Collection
  • Lisa Hatfield’s Bio
  • Press
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
menu icon
go to homepage
  • ALL RECIPES
  • COOKING TOOLS
  • WELCOME TO DT!
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • ALL RECIPES
    • COOKING TOOLS
    • WELCOME TO DT!
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home » Recipes » Sauces, Dressings, & Condiments

    Preserved Lemons

    Published: February 8, 2023 | Last Updated: April 4, 2024 | Lisa 5 Comments
    This post may contain affiliate links.

    6.4K shares
    • Facebook
    • LinkedIn
    • Email
    • X
    Jump to Recipe

    Last Updated April 4th, 2024 at 01:11 pm by Lisa

    Preserved lemons add an incredible fresh intense "lemony" flavor with a mild tartness to a variety of dishes. Follow this easy simple recipe and step-by-step tutorial to make them the traditional way, or a superfast method to make quick preserved lemons in much less time, just 30 minutes!

    Then grab your jar and try one of the 25 ways to use preserved lemon rinds on roast chicken, grilled fish, or mix or into stews, pasta, and salad dressings...

    A tall clamp jar filled with preserved lemons, bay leaves, and a brown paper tag.Pin

    Table of Contents

    • How To Make Preserved Lemons
    • First, What Are Preserved Lemons?
    • Preserved Lemon Recipes
      • Quick Preservation Method
      • Traditional Preservation Method
    • Flavor Variations
    • What Kind Of Lemons Are Best To Use?
    • How To Cook With Pickled Lemons
    • 25+ Preserved Lemon Recipes
    • More Lemon Recipes

    How To Make Preserved Lemons

    Lemons are a staple in my kitchen, and I almost always have a large bowl of them year-round. I use both lemon zest and fresh lemon juice in many of my recipes to add brightness and that citrus punch. 

    When you preserve whole lemons, they take on an extra "lemony" punch that a squeeze can't quite match. I learned how to preserve them at a cooking demonstration, and came home and made them the next day. The first time I tasted them on a chicken dish, it was next level deliciousness!

    Plus, when your lemon tree is bursting with fresh lemons, or a friend offers you a bag, this is a great way to use them up...

    Pin

    First, What Are Preserved Lemons?

    Preserved Lemons are made with an ancient food preservation method, and are also known as country lemons, pickled lemons, leems, or lemon pickles. Both the lemon pulp and lemon peel rind are edible. They each add a mildly tart taste of intense lemon flavor to a variety of dishes.

    Delicious Table logo
    Join Our List

    And receive a free Cookout Planner as our thank you!

    Diced, halved, or quartered lemons are pickled in a brine of water, lemon juice, and salt. Some recipes call for other spices, and not all include oil. The pickle is allowed to ferment at room temperature and is then refrigerated. Now that we have that covered let's get into the details of how to make these citrus wonders, there are two ways...

    Pin

    Preserved Lemon Recipes

    Preserved Lemons Ingredients

    • 12 lemons Seedless, or Meyer Lemons preferred
    • ½ cup coarse kosher salt
    • 2 tablespoons olive oil
    • 4 fresh bay leaves optional

    Quick Preservation Method

    The hardest part is to wait at least three weeks before the preserved lemons are ready to use in your cooking. To speed up the process, try the quick method, otherwise, go with the traditional way and wait a few weeks. Then use the rind in all kinds of dishes in your cooking!

    Since these take 3 to 4 weeks to fully cure this is a fast way to make them quickly for recipes in a smaller quantity. This alternative method has just 30 minutes of active prep time.

    Wash 3 lemons well, and cut into quarters of lemon wedges. In a small saucepan, add 1 cup of water and 2 tablespoons of kosher sea salt. Over high heat, bring to a boil, then turn it down to a low simmer and cook for 30 minutes until the liquid reduces down to half to ½ cup.

    The lemon's texture will soften and the rind becomes tender. Let the contents cool. In a clean glass jar, add the lemons and pour the cooked lemons' juice liquid on top. Be sure to cover the lemons all the way with their own juices. Add more juice to cover if needed. These can be made ahead and stored in small jars in the refrigerator for up to a week.

    Pin
    Cut lemons in a blue bowl sliced and salted to make preserved lemons. Pin

    Traditional Preservation Method

    Traditional preserved lemons take 3 to 4 weeks to cure. They gain a wonderful flavor and consistency. Food preserving is worth the wait!

    1. Using a paring knife, on a cutting board, cut off the stems and ½" of lemon ends. Slice a deep slit down each lemon lengthwise down but keep attached at the bottom into quarters.
    2. Open each lemon on a plate, sprinkle coarse sea salt generously over each open lemon, and push it down into the crevices.
    3. Place a tablespoon of salt and the bay leaves in a clean mason jar. Next, add the salted lemons into the quart jar. It's fine if you have to pack them in, as they will shrink smaller.
    4. Juice the remaining lemons using a hand juicer and completely cover the cut ones in the jar with additional juice. Pour any salt or juice from the plate into the jar. 
    5. Important: Leave one inch of headspace from the top of the jar. Be sure all the lemons are pushed down into the juice brine, or they will spoil. I like to use glass weights which are called a fermentation weight. These hold down the contents in the glass jar under the top of the brine mixture of salt and a significant amount of juice that comes out as you fill the jar. Let your jar sit lightly covered with a clean towel or cheesecloth at room temperature for a day.
    6. 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 3 days, put them in the refrigerator allowing them to cure for 3-4 weeks - do not leave at room temperature the entire 3 weeks.
    7. Preserved lemons last up to six months in the fridge.
    8. When you use some of them, start with a new clean jar. Place new cut and salted lemons on the bottom of the jar, and add the already preserved ones back on top. And add a new bay leaf or two or any seasonings you wish. This makes it easier to get to the uppermost lemons that are ready for cooking. Then pour the reserved lemon juice from the prior batch into the new jar. You can add the juice on top if you need more liquid.
    Pin
    Using a lemon juicer to add lemon juice into the clamp jar. Pin

    Cooking With Preserved Lemon Rind

    1. Remove the salt-preserved lemons from the salty brine, and the best thing is to quickly rinse off the excess salt so the intense lemon flavor comes through.
    2. They may be finely diced, chopped into tiny bits, sliced, or mashed, as the recipe requires. Thin skin rinds gain a natural mild sweetness and may be used with or without the pulp.
    3. Another way to use them is to scrape the pulp and add in stews, sauces, or brush on roast chicken or lamb. Or chop up the entire lemon and mix in rice dishes, risotto, or couscous.

    PRO TIP: When you use some of them, start a new clean jar. Place new salted lemons on the bottom, and add the already preserved lemons back on top. This makes it easier to get the lemons ready for cooking.

    Flavor Variations

    Try different flavors by adding spices to the preserved lemons like vanilla beans, bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon sticks, or red or black peppercorns.  Or add in some coriander seeds, small amounts of red pepper flakes,

    A pile of bright yellow lemons in a pile ready to make lemon recipes.Pin

    What Kind Of Lemons Are Best To Use?

    Any kind of lemon and even limes can be preserved. Meyer lemons will result in a sweeter flavor, and their thinner skins are wonderful.

    Over 30 varieties of lemon varieties are found all over the world. In the United States, the five most common types of regular lemons found in a grocery store are Lisbon, Eureka, Meyer, and Bearss, per USCitrus.com.

    Most of the kinds of lemons you see in stores are Lisbon and are thicker-skinned lemons. Ponderosa lemons were originally called American Wonder Lemons and got the name as they can be quite large lemons.

    Meyer lemons are my absolute favorites! They are smaller, much sweeter, very juicy, thin-skinned lemons. They have a slight orangish color tint, and zest beautifully.

    What is the food history of preserved lemons?

    People have preserved lemons for many centuries and perhaps thousands of years. It remains a practical way method to preserve a large number of lemons that ripen all at once, to use all year long, and transport to places far from where they grow.

    Cultures all over the world use this method, lemon pickle is a popular dinner table condiment in the cuisines of Indian subcontinent , North African cuisine Moroccan cooking, and also found in 18th-century English cuisine.

    Close up of a jar of preserved lemons with a brown paper tag on it that says preserved lemons. Pin

    How To Cook With Pickled Lemons

    Remove the salt-preserved lemons from the salty brine, and the best thing is to quickly rinse off the excess salt so the intense lemon flavor comes through. You want to taste the natural mild sweetness and not the salt.

    The lemons may be finely diced, chopped into tiny bits, sliced, or mashed, as the recipe requires.

    Pin
    Pin

    25+ Preserved Lemon Recipes

    Try your Preserved Lemons in these delicious recipes. One of my favorite ways to use them is in vinaigrette salad dressings.

    They are often combined in various ways in Middle Eastern cuisine and African dishes, and with olives, artichokes, seafood, veal, chicken, rice, and couscous. Lemon pickle recipes in Indian cuisine call for lemons or limes, Carom spice seeds, red chili powder, salt, and no oil.

    • a classic ingredient in Moroccan chicken tagine
    • season roast chicken under the skin
    • Meyer lemon salad dressing
    • top grilled fish dishes
    • put small pieces in dill lemon sauces
    • add to dill caper aioli with fish dishes
    • simmer in chicken, lamb, or beef stews
    • roasted or grilled fingerling potatoes
    • top roasted vegetables
    • mix lemon hummus in a food processor
    • stir some into a cocktail sauce with horseradish
    • smear onto steamed or grilled artichokes
    • add some to Greek tzatziki with Gyros
    • mix some of the citrus pulp and liquid in bloody marys
    • mix chopped into green salads
    • toss into grain salads like wild rice or quinoa salad
    • add to parmesan lemon vinaigrette dressings
    • dice finely, and add to chicken noodle soup for unique flavor!
    • add to a chicken pasta dish
    • saute into vegetable stir-fries
    • add some pulp into lemon dill butter
    • stir into chicken gravy sauces
    • top on cabbage steaks
    • mix finely chopped into couscous
    • use to make lemon olive tapenade
    Pin

    More Lemon Recipes

    Put this Parmesan Lemon Vinaigrette recipe together in minutes with real lemon juice, Dijon mustard, and parmesan cheese. Shake in a jar, whisk in a bowl, either way, it elevates any green salad into something special. Calling all you olive lovers!

    This delightfully fresh Meyer Lemon Olive Tapenade is an anchovy free recipe and the perfect addition to cheese boards with crackers and golden crostini toasts.

    Hello, lemon fans! 🍋🍋🍋 There are over 15 Lemon Recipes here for you to try, for family dinners, savory dishes, appetizers, and sweet desserts.

    Ice cold Blueberry Lemonade captures Summer in every sip. This tasty summer drink can be made in minutes with homemade blueberry syrup, fresh lemon juice, and sweet honey. Garnish with blueberries and thin slices of lemon.

    • A mason jar with lemon vinaigrette inside on a messy cutting board.
      Parmesan Lemon Vinaigrette
    • A vintage French ceramic bowl filled with freshly made meyer lemon olive tapenade with a silver spoon and sliced baguette to eat as an appetizer.
      Meyer Lemon Olive Tapenade
    • A collage of lemon recipe for family dinners, desserts, dressings, drinks, and more to make with fresh lemons.
      15 Lemon Recipes
    • Mason jar handled glasses with blueberry lemonade garnished with blueberries, mint, and lemons halves.
      Blueberry Lemonade

    CRAVING MORE?

    Did you love this recipe? We would love to hear from you! If you make this recipe and love it, give it a 5-star rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ with a comment. THANK YOU!! Follow Delicious Table with my free newsletter and share this recipe with your friends on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram.

    A large clamp jar of Preserved Lemons with a brown craft paper tag that says Preserved Lemons.Pin
    Print Pin Recipe

    Preserved Lemon Recipe

    Preserved lemons add an incredible fresh intense "lemony" flavor with a mild tartness to a variety of dishes. Follow this easy simple recipe and step-by-step tutorial to make them the traditional way, or a superfast method to make them quickly in much less time, just 30 minutes! Then grab your jar and try one of the 25 ways to use them on roast chicken, grilled fish, potatoes, or lemon hummus, or mix or into stews, pasta, and salad dressings.
    Prep Time 15 minutes minutes
    Fermenting Time 21 days days
    Total Time 15 minutes minutes
    Servings 12
    Calories 52kcal
    Author Lisa Hatfield

    Equipment

    Lemon/Lime Juicer
    2 Quart Glass Clamp Jar
    Small Serrated Knife
    Fermentation Glass Weights

    Ingredients

    • 12 lemons Seedless, or Meyer Lemons preferred
    • ½ cup coarse kosher salt
    • 2 tablespoons olive oil
    • 4 fresh bay leaves optional
    US Customary - Metric
    Get Recipe Ingredients
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • On a cutting board using a pairing knife, cut off the stems and ½" of lemon ends. Slice a deep slit down each lemon, but keep it attached at the bottom into quarters.
    • Next, open each lemon on a plate, and sprinkle coarse sea salt generously over each open lemon and push the salt down into the crevices.
    • Place a tablespoon of salt and the bay leaves in a clean mason jar. Next, add the salted lemons in the quart jar. It's fine if you have to pack them in, as they will shrink smaller as they cure.
    • 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 one inch of headspace from the top of the jar. Be sure all the lemons are pushed down into the lemon juice brine, or the lemons will spoil.
    • I use glass weights which are called fermentation weights. These hold down the contents in the glass jar under the top of the brine mixture of salt and the significant amount of juice that comes out as you fill the jar.
    • Let your jar sit for a day, lightly covered with a clean towel or cheesecloth at room temperature.
    • The next day, pour a thin layer of olive oil over the lemons and their juice. Close up your jar and seal with a lid. After 3 days, put it in the refrigerator allowing them to cure for 3-4 weeks.
    • Preserved lemons last up to six months in the fridge.
    • When you use some of them, start with a new clean jar. Place new cut and salted lemons on the bottom of the jar, and add the already preserved lemons back on top. And add a new bay leaf or two or any seasonings you wish. This makes it easier to get to the uppermost lemons that are ready for cooking. Then pour reserved lemon juice from the prior batch into the new jar. You can add the juice of another lemon on top if you need more liquid.

    Quick Preserved Lemons

    • Traditional preserved lemons take 3 to 4 weeks to cure and gain the wonderful flavor and consistency. This is an alternative method to make them quickly for recipes in a smaller quantity.
    • Wash 3 lemons well, and cut into quarters of lemon wedges. In a small saucepan, add 1 cup of water and 2 tablespoons of kosher sea salt. Over high heat, bring to a boil, then turn down to a low simmer and cook for 30 minutes until the liquid reduces down in half to ½ cup.
    • The lemon's texture will soften and the rind becomes tender. Let the contents cool. In a clean glass jar, add the lemons and pour the cooked lemon's juice on top. Be sure to cover the lemons all the way with their own juices. These can be made ahead and stored in a small jar in the refrigerator for up to a week.

    Cooking With Preserved Lemons

    • Remove the salt-preserved lemons from the salty brine, and the best thing is to give them a quick rinse off the excess salt so the intense lemon flavor comes through.
    • The lemons may be finely diced, chopped into tiny bits, sliced, or mashed, as the recipe requires. Thin skin rinds gain a natural mild sweetness and may be used with or without the pulp.
    • Another way to use them is to scrape the preserved lemon pulp and add in stews, sauces, or brush on roast chicken or lamb. Or chop up the entire lemon and mix in rice dishes, risotto, or couscous.

    Notes

    Preserved Lemons: 25+ Incredible Ways To Use Them in Recipes

    Use preserved lemons (seeds removed): sprinkle them chopped into classic Morrocan dishes, roast chicken, grilled fish, roasted fingerlings, or in lemon hummus.
    Mix into chopped into green or grain salads and vinaigrette dressings. Dice finely, add to chicken noodle soup, a chicken pasta dish,  couscous, or olive tapenade appetizer. One of my favorite ways to use them is in vinaigrette salad dressings.
    Try different flavors by adding spices to the preserved lemons—vanilla beans, bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon sticks, or peppercorns. 
    They are often combined in various ways in Middle Eastern cuisine and African dishes with olives, artichokes, seafood, veal, chicken, rice, and couscous. Lemon pickle recipes in Indian cuisine call for lemons or limes, Carom spice, red chili powder, salt, and no oil.
      • a classic ingredient in Moroccan chicken tagine
      • season roast chicken under the skin
      • Meyer lemon salad dressing
      • top grilled fish dishes
      • put small pieces in dill lemon sauces
      • add to dill caper aioli with fish dishes
      • simmer in chicken, lamb, or beef stews
      • roasted or grilled fingerling potatoes
      • top roasted vegetables
      • mix lemon hummus in a food processor
      • stir some into a cocktail sauce with horseradish
      • smear onto steamed or grilled artichokes
      • add some to Greek tzatziki with Gyros
      • mix some of the citurs pulp and liquid in bloody marys
      • mix chopped into green salads
      • toss into grain salads like wild rice or quinoa salad
      • add to parmesan lemon vinaigrette dressings
      • dice finely, and add to chicken noodle soup for unique flavor!
      • add to a chicken pasta dish
      • saute into vegetable stir-fries
      • add some pulp into lemon dill butter
      • stir into chicken gravy sauces
      • top on cabbage steaks
      • mix finely chopped into couscous
      • use to make lemon olive tapenade

    Nutrition

    Calories: 52kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 2g | Sodium: 1416mg | Potassium: 149mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 25IU | Vitamin C: 57.3mg | Calcium: 29mg | Iron: 0.6mg
    Tried this recipe?Let's see it on Instagram! Follow us @Delicious.Table and tag us on your recipe photo with #delicioustable
    Need ingredients or equipment to make this recipe? Shop Now Every cooking product recommended I own, use, and love how they perform in my kitchen. Happy Cooking! Lisa
    Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, Delicious Table earns advertising fees from qualified purchases linking to Amazon.com
    A large clamp jar of Preserved Lemons with a brown craft paper tag that says Preserved Lemons.Pin
    Print Pin Recipe

    Preserved Lemon Recipe

    Preserved lemons add an incredible fresh intense "lemony" flavor with a mild tartness to a variety of dishes. Follow this easy simple recipe and step-by-step tutorial to make them the traditional way, or a superfast method to make them quickly in much less time, just 30 minutes! Then grab your jar and try one of the 25 ways to use them on roast chicken, grilled fish, potatoes, or lemon hummus, or mix or into stews, pasta, and salad dressings.
    Prep Time 15 minutes minutes
    Fermenting Time 21 days days
    Total Time 15 minutes minutes
    Servings 12
    Calories 52kcal
    Author Lisa Hatfield

    Equipment

    Lemon/Lime Juicer
    2 Quart Glass Clamp Jar
    Small Serrated Knife
    Fermentation Glass Weights

    Ingredients

    • 12 lemons Seedless, or Meyer Lemons preferred
    • ½ cup coarse kosher salt
    • 2 tablespoons olive oil
    • 4 fresh bay leaves optional
    US Customary - Metric
    Get Recipe Ingredients
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • On a cutting board using a pairing knife, cut off the stems and ½" of lemon ends. Slice a deep slit down each lemon, but keep it attached at the bottom into quarters.
    • Next, open each lemon on a plate, and sprinkle coarse sea salt generously over each open lemon and push the salt down into the crevices.
    • Place a tablespoon of salt and the bay leaves in a clean mason jar. Next, add the salted lemons in the quart jar. It's fine if you have to pack them in, as they will shrink smaller as they cure.
    • 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 one inch of headspace from the top of the jar. Be sure all the lemons are pushed down into the lemon juice brine, or the lemons will spoil.
    • I use glass weights which are called fermentation weights. These hold down the contents in the glass jar under the top of the brine mixture of salt and the significant amount of juice that comes out as you fill the jar.
    • Let your jar sit for a day, lightly covered with a clean towel or cheesecloth at room temperature.
    • The next day, pour a thin layer of olive oil over the lemons and their juice. Close up your jar and seal with a lid. After 3 days, put it in the refrigerator allowing them to cure for 3-4 weeks.
    • Preserved lemons last up to six months in the fridge.
    • When you use some of them, start with a new clean jar. Place new cut and salted lemons on the bottom of the jar, and add the already preserved lemons back on top. And add a new bay leaf or two or any seasonings you wish. This makes it easier to get to the uppermost lemons that are ready for cooking. Then pour reserved lemon juice from the prior batch into the new jar. You can add the juice of another lemon on top if you need more liquid.

    Quick Preserved Lemons

    • Traditional preserved lemons take 3 to 4 weeks to cure and gain the wonderful flavor and consistency. This is an alternative method to make them quickly for recipes in a smaller quantity.
    • Wash 3 lemons well, and cut into quarters of lemon wedges. In a small saucepan, add 1 cup of water and 2 tablespoons of kosher sea salt. Over high heat, bring to a boil, then turn down to a low simmer and cook for 30 minutes until the liquid reduces down in half to ½ cup.
    • The lemon's texture will soften and the rind becomes tender. Let the contents cool. In a clean glass jar, add the lemons and pour the cooked lemon's juice on top. Be sure to cover the lemons all the way with their own juices. These can be made ahead and stored in a small jar in the refrigerator for up to a week.

    Cooking With Preserved Lemons

    • Remove the salt-preserved lemons from the salty brine, and the best thing is to give them a quick rinse off the excess salt so the intense lemon flavor comes through.
    • The lemons may be finely diced, chopped into tiny bits, sliced, or mashed, as the recipe requires. Thin skin rinds gain a natural mild sweetness and may be used with or without the pulp.
    • Another way to use them is to scrape the preserved lemon pulp and add in stews, sauces, or brush on roast chicken or lamb. Or chop up the entire lemon and mix in rice dishes, risotto, or couscous.

    Notes

    Preserved Lemons: 25+ Incredible Ways To Use Them in Recipes

    Use preserved lemons (seeds removed): sprinkle them chopped into classic Morrocan dishes, roast chicken, grilled fish, roasted fingerlings, or in lemon hummus.
    Mix into chopped into green or grain salads and vinaigrette dressings. Dice finely, add to chicken noodle soup, a chicken pasta dish,  couscous, or olive tapenade appetizer. One of my favorite ways to use them is in vinaigrette salad dressings.
    Try different flavors by adding spices to the preserved lemons—vanilla beans, bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon sticks, or peppercorns. 
    They are often combined in various ways in Middle Eastern cuisine and African dishes with olives, artichokes, seafood, veal, chicken, rice, and couscous. Lemon pickle recipes in Indian cuisine call for lemons or limes, Carom spice, red chili powder, salt, and no oil.
      • a classic ingredient in Moroccan chicken tagine
      • season roast chicken under the skin
      • Meyer lemon salad dressing
      • top grilled fish dishes
      • put small pieces in dill lemon sauces
      • add to dill caper aioli with fish dishes
      • simmer in chicken, lamb, or beef stews
      • roasted or grilled fingerling potatoes
      • top roasted vegetables
      • mix lemon hummus in a food processor
      • stir some into a cocktail sauce with horseradish
      • smear onto steamed or grilled artichokes
      • add some to Greek tzatziki with Gyros
      • mix some of the citurs pulp and liquid in bloody marys
      • mix chopped into green salads
      • toss into grain salads like wild rice or quinoa salad
      • add to parmesan lemon vinaigrette dressings
      • dice finely, and add to chicken noodle soup for unique flavor!
      • add to a chicken pasta dish
      • saute into vegetable stir-fries
      • add some pulp into lemon dill butter
      • stir into chicken gravy sauces
      • top on cabbage steaks
      • mix finely chopped into couscous
      • use to make lemon olive tapenade

    Nutrition

    Calories: 52kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 2g | Sodium: 1416mg | Potassium: 149mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 25IU | Vitamin C: 57.3mg | Calcium: 29mg | Iron: 0.6mg
    Tried this recipe?Let's see it on Instagram! Follow us @Delicious.Table and tag us on your recipe photo with #delicioustable
    Need ingredients or equipment to make this recipe? Shop Now Every cooking product recommended I own, use, and love how they perform in my kitchen. Happy Cooking! Lisa
    Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, Delicious Table earns advertising fees from qualified purchases linking to Amazon.com

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Aspen D Allen says

      March 04, 2024 at 7:34 am

      5 stars
      You say to cut some of the lemons and the rest you squeeze to put the juice over but you didn't mention how many lemons you cut and how many you squeeze?

      Reply
      • Lisa says

        March 04, 2024 at 11:30 am

        Hello Aspen,
        The recipe calls for 12 lemons. However, this will vary based on the size of your lemons and jar. This recipe is a technique, but follow all my helpful tips, its an ancient way to preserve citrus fruit!

        Reply
    2. Krystle Wainscott says

      February 06, 2021 at 3:48 pm

      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!

      Reply
      • Lisa says

        February 08, 2021 at 10:08 am

        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!

        Reply
    3. Colette says

      March 10, 2018 at 8:20 pm

      5 stars
      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.

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    MEET LISA

    Hey Everyone! I've been cooking passionately for over 30 years with professional culinary training and thousands of recipes in my collection. Let's get cooking! ♥

    Find out more →

    FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube

    MOST POPULAR RECIPES

    • A white ceramic dog dish that says woof filled with homemade dog food.
      Homemade Dog Food Recipes (30+ Ideas!)
    • A white plate full of taco salad topped with taco meat, grated cheese, Fritos, sour cream, black olives and tomatoes.
      Easy Taco Salad
    • Lifting out a piece of breakfast casserole from a white baking dish with a serving utensil from the strata.
      Pizza Strata Breakfast Casserole
    • A loaf of sliced bread filled with a cheesy mixture to make a pull apart crack bread recipe.
      Chile Cheese Pull Apart Bread
    • A large spoon holding a scoop of hot potato casserole serving it for dinner.
      Cheesy Potato Casserole
    • A collage of many colorful side dishes to make during cookout season including potluck salads, baked beans, fruit salad, summer desserts and more.
      30+ Cookout Side Dish Ideas

    ALL READER FAVES ►

    FALL RECIPES

    • A ceramic dish full of golden brown roast pumpkin seeds.
      Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
    • Dozens of pictures of 200 Halloween recipes including adult drinks, appetizers, treats, snacks, desserts for kids and families all with a Halloween theme.
      200+ Best Halloween Recipes
    • Apple Crisp in a red bowl with a silver spoon, ice cream, and drizzled with caramel sauce.
      Apple Crisp
    • Slices of green Granny Smith apples around a white dish with a sweet dessert dip inside a low small white dish with a ruffled edge, and a piece of apple sticking into the dip.
      Caramel Apple Dip
    • A large jar filled with apple pie filling with a lid and bow.
      Apple Pie Recipe Filling
    • A white pie dish with a slice of apple crumble pie, also known as a dutch apple pie with a crumbled topping and green apples in the background in a wood bowl.
      Dutch Apple Pie

    Footer

    Most Popular "Reader Favorite" Recipes

    A white ceramic dog dish that says woof filled with homemade dog food.

    Homemade Dog Food Recipes (30+ Ideas!)

    A white plate full of taco salad topped with taco meat, grated cheese, Fritos, sour cream, black olives and tomatoes.

    Easy Taco Salad

    Lifting out a piece of breakfast casserole from a white baking dish with a serving utensil from the strata.

    Pizza Strata Breakfast Casserole

    A loaf of sliced bread filled with a cheesy mixture to make a pull apart crack bread recipe.

    Chile Cheese Pull Apart Bread

    A large spoon holding a scoop of hot potato casserole serving it for dinner.

    Cheesy Potato Casserole

    A collage of many colorful side dishes to make during cookout season including potluck salads, baked beans, fruit salad, summer desserts and more.

    30+ Cookout Side Dish Ideas

    A square collage of colorful grilled food, side dishes, desserts, and drink recipes to serve at an outdoor bbq cookout.

    75+ Cookout Recipes & BBQ Party Ideas

    Marinated mozzarella balls in a beige ceramic dish with appetizer toothpicks.

    Marinated Mozzarella Balls

    A white casserole dish with oven roasted pulled pork shredded and ready to eat in tacos or a recipe for dinner.

    Oven Roasted Pulled Pork

    A grilled burger loaded with toppings and served at a cookout in paper lined plastic baskets.

    42 Amazing Burger Sides For Cookouts

    Tea sandwiches stacked on a 3 tiered glass tray at a tea party with assorted fillings and flavors.

    Tea Sandwiches

    A white casserole dish filled with mashed potatoes and squares of melted butter on top.

    Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes

    A large glass clamp jar filled with pickled eggs, fresh jalapeno slices, and spices.

    Jalapeno Pickled Eggs Recipe

    A large pork loin roast with a lot of dry rub seasoning pouring over the top.

    The Best BBQ Dry Rub

    Mexican pickled red onions in a clamp jar and white bowl with chiles and limes on a colorful striped cloth.

    Mexican Pickled Red Onions

    Picnic sandwiches on a red and white check table with sliced sandwiches.

    Picnic Food: Pressed Italian Sandwiches

    A white plate filled with heart shaped lobster ravioli garnished with parsley.

    Lobster Ravioli

    Three golden crispy edged hash browns baked in a muffin tin on cutting board.

    Oven Baked Hash Browns

    A Cinco de Mayo party with frozen margaritas called Coronaritas, guacamole, and chips on a green table.

    CoronaRita Margaritas

    A large white spoon scooping a serving of cowboy baked beans out of a casserole dish.

    Cowboy Beans

    More Delicious Recipes

    PLEASE FOLLOW US!

    • Amazon
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

    Footer

    DELICIOUS TABLE

    • MEET LISA
    • SEE MY WORK! PRESS & DIGITAL MEDIA PUBLICATIONS
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • ACCESSIBILITY STATEMENT

    POPULAR LINKS

    • EMAIL SIGN-UP newsletters and updates
    • RECIPE INDEX
    • AMAZON STORE As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    LET'S CONNECT

    • PINTEREST
    • FACEBOOK
    • INSTAGRAM
    • YOUTUBE
    • TIKTOK
    • LINKEDIN
    • X / TWITTER

    2024 COPYRIGHT © ♥︎ DELICIOUS TABLE ®️