Last Updated July 21st, 2020 at 02:23 pm by Lisa
Preserved Lemons add INCREDIBLE fresh intense “lemony” flavor; try on roast chicken, grilled fish, or lemon hummus. Mix into salads and lemon vinaigrette dressings.
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Preserved lemons add a “lemony” punch that a squeeze from a lemon can’t quite match.
How To Make Preserved Lemons:
STEP 1: Cut off the stems and 1/2″ 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 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.
Important: Leave 1″ from 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 on the counter.
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 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, good tip right?
Preserved Lemon Recipes:
Try your Preserved Lemons in these delicious recipes.
- classic Morrocan dishes
- roast chicken
- 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 of my Lemon Recipes:
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 my recipes. Preserved lemons add a “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!
Enjoy…
All The Best Dishes,
Lisa XO
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Preserved Lemons
Ingredients
Preserved Lemons Ingredients
- 12 lemons Seedless, or Meyer Lemons preferred
- 1/2 cup coarse kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 fresh bay leaves optional
Instructions
Prep Lemons
- Cut off the stems and 1/2″ of lemons ends. Slice each lemon lengthwise down but keep attached at bottom into quarters.
Assemble Preserved Lemons
- Open each lemon in 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 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" from 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 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, good tip right?
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.