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A large clamp jar of Preserved Lemons with a brown craft paper tag that says Preserved Lemons.
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5 from 2 votes

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 Time15 minutes
Fermenting Time21 days
Total Time15 minutes
Course: Seasoning
Cuisine: American
Keyword: lemon pickle, lemon pickles, lemon recipes, lemons, pickled lemons, preserved lemon recipe, preserved lemons
Servings: 12
Calories: 52kcal

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.
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
    • 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
    • smear onto steamed or grilled artichokes
    • toss into grain salads like wild rice or quinoa salad
    • add to a chicken pasta dish
    • saute into vegetable stir-fries
    • stir into chicken gravy sauces
    • mix finely chopped into couscous

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