Name: Preserved Lemons
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 12 preserved lemons
Ingredients: 12 lemons ~ Melissa's Produce: Organic (Seedless, or Meyer Lemons preferred); 1/2 cup coarse kosher salt; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 4 fresh bay leaves (optional)

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Thanks again Melissa’s Produce for sponsoring this recipe with your fantastic fresh ingredients. You’re the best! For this recipe, I used Melissa’s Organic Lemons.

Preserved Lemons add INCREDIBLE fresh intense “lemony” flavor; try on roast chicken, grilled fish, or lemon hummus. Mix into salads, and dressings.

This post is sponsored by Melissa’s Produce. All opinions are my own.

Recently at a Melissa’s Produce cookbook signing event, we learned how to make Preserved Lemons. Joan Nathan shared the recipe from her latest cookbook, King Soloman’s Table. She took us through the process of how to make Preserved Lemons, and how to use them in our cooking.

Let me tell you, they are pure lemon deliciousness. I was so inspired by Joan, and made a jar of preserved lemons with my Melissa’s organic lemons!

Preserved lemons add a “lemony” punch that a squeeze from a lemon can’t quite match.

Preserved Lemons: 12 Incredible Ways To Use Them in Recipes

Try Preserved Lemons on 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, or a chicken pasta dish or couscous, or olive tapenade.

5 from 1 vote

Preserved Lemons

Prep Time

15 mins

Total Time

15 mins

Preserved lemons add INCREDIBLE fresh intense "lemony" flavor; try on roast chicken, grilled fish, or lemon hummus. Mix into drinks, salads, and dressings. recipe inspiration and source: Joan Nathan ~ King Soloman's Table cookbook

Course: Seasoning

Cuisine: American

Keyword: jarred lemons, lemon pickle

Servings: 12 preserved lemons

Calories: 52 kcal

Author: Lisa Hatfield

Ingredients

12 lemons ~ Melissa's Produce: Organic Seedless, or Meyer Lemons preferred
1/2 cup coarse kosher salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 fresh bay leaves optional

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Cut off the stems and 1/2" of lemons ends. Slice each lemon lengthwise down but keep attached at bottom into quarters.
Open each lemon in a bowl, 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.
Juice remaining lemons and completely cover the cut ones in the jar with lemon juice. Pour any salt or lemon juice from bowl into the jar. Leave 1" from top of jar, be sure all lemons are pushed down into the juice.
Let your jar sit for a day, lightly covered with a clean towel or cheesecloth.
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 to cure for 3-4 weeks.
Preserved lemons last up to six months in the fridge. Here is a great tip from Joan: 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, good tip right?

Recipe Notes

Preserved Lemons: 12 Incredible Ways To Use Them in Recipes

Use preserved lemons (seeds removed): sprinkle chopped preserved lemons on 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.

Try different flavors by adding spices to the preserved lemons—vanilla beans, bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon stick, or peppercorns. all photography images and text © Lisa Torres | Delicious Table

Nutrition Facts

Preserved Lemons

Amount Per Serving

Calories 52 Calories from Fat 18

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 2g 3%

Sodium 1416mg 59%

Potassium 149mg 4%

Total Carbohydrates 10g 3%

Dietary Fiber 3g 12%

Sugars 2g

Protein 1g 2%

Vitamin A 0.5%

Vitamin C 69.4%

Calcium 2.9%

Iron 3.6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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 to dishes. Preserved lemons add a “lemony” punch that a squeeze from a lemon can’t quite match.

Many Moroccan and Middle Eastern recipes call for preserved lemons. Really good friends just returned from a culinary trip to Morocco with small tagines and local recipes packed in their bags. They learned about using preserved lemons as well and shared recipe inspiration on how to use them.