Preserved Lemons

Preserved lemons are used in a lot of Middle Eastern recipes. If you've ever tried buying them, they can be tricky to find and then when you do find them, the price can give you a shock! I'm not sure why they're expensive because they're very easy to make and keep for at least a year. Just make sure you remember that they need to be made about a month in advance.

I think it's best to use home grown lemons, because they're usually organic and not waxed. Either way, give them a good scrub before using to remove and grit or wax. I love to slice the rind into tagines and lamb salads. You can find links to some recipes using Preserved Lemon at the bottom of the post.


Preserved Lemons

5 medium sized lemons

1/2 cup coarse salt (kosher salt or coarse kitchen salt)

extra freshly squeezed lemon juice
A few coriander seeds, black peppercorns, cloves, a bay leaf, a cinnamon stick - Optional

1L/1qt sterilised jar

Cut lemons lengthwise into quarters without cutting all the way through. Leave a little bit at the end uncut so that the pieces stay together. It sometimes helps to cut a little bit off the bottom so that it will sit flat before cutting the quarters.

Open up the lemons and sprinkle a handful of salt inside. Fill each lemon with as much salt as possible. The salt will extract the juice from the lemons, softening the rind. Sprinkle a bit of salt in the bottom of the jar and push the lemons into the jar. Sprinkle over remaining salt. I sometimes break up the lemon into its quarters to get it to all fit nicely in the jar. Add the spices or any combination of them if you wish. I usually just add a bay leaf.

Pour over enough lemon juice to completely cover lemons. Seal and store in a cool place, away from direct sunlight, for at least 4 weeks. 

The lemons may develop a white mould on them if some of them are above the juice. The mould is completely harmless, so just scoop it off with a spoon. 

To use, remove a lemon from the briny juice. Separate off as many pieces as you need. Rinse under running water and use your fingers to separate the flesh from the rind. Pat dry with paper towel. Finely slice and add to your recipe.

Recipes using Preserved Lemon:
- Moroccan Chicken with Olives - Simply Recipes
- Couscous Salad - Jamie Oliver
- Baked Fish - Hassan M’Souli
- Grilled Salmon - Simply Recipes
- When making hommus, a piece of preserved lemon can be added to make Lemon Hommus.
- I also think a curl of the rind would go great in a Martini, but I haven't tried it yet.