Last Updated February 11th, 2023 at 06:12 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...
Table of Contents
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...
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.
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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...
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.
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!
- 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.
- Open each lemon on a plate, sprinkle coarse sea salt generously over each open lemon, and push it down into the crevices.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 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.
Cooking With Preserved Lemon Rind
- 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.
- 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.
- 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,
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.
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.
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.
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
More Lemon Recipes
Hello, lemon fans! 🍋🍋🍋 There are over 15 Lemon Recipes here for you to try, for family dinners, savory dishes, appetizers, and sweet desserts. Mix up some tangy Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette, a homemade dressing made in minutes that is absolutely delightful.
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.
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.
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!
A tropical version of traditional Lemon Bars, the toasted coconut shortbread cookie crust, and lemon-lime filling are simply out of this world. The crust on these Coconut-Lime Lemon Bars gets golden topped with tart lemon and lime juice filled with sweet coconut, what could be better in a dessert...
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Preserved Lemon Recipe
Ingredients
- 12 lemons Seedless, or Meyer Lemons preferred
- ½ cup coarse kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 fresh bay leaves optional
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.-
- 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
-
- 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
Preserved Lemon Recipe
Ingredients
- 12 lemons Seedless, or Meyer Lemons preferred
- ½ cup coarse kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 fresh bay leaves optional
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.-
- 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
-
- 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
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.