How to Preserve Lemons ~ Moroccan preserved lemons is a unique condiment that brightens up a lot of Middle Eastern recipes but can be hard to find in stores ~ I’ll show you how to make them right at home, it’s easy!
In parts of the country where citrus grows naturally, the trees are practically groaning with fruit right now. Some trees topple over or lose branches from the weight of so much bounty. And the fruit has to be picked in order for the trees to set buds for next year’s crop. Here in California charities will come and pick your fruit for you in exchange for the harvest. In stores all over the country this will be the last week or two that citrus will take center stage, before the early strawberries and other spring crops start to come in. Pretty soon the unusual varieties like Meyer lemons, Cara Cara oranges, and pomelos will be a distant memory.
There aren’t many foods that match the versatility of citrus—we eat it raw, and use it as an ingredient in sweets, meats, fish, vegetables, drinks, and endless condiments. Every last part of the citrus fruit is valuable in the culinary world. Citrus can actually do the ‘cooking’ too—the acids in citrus will transform raw fish in ceviche. And because of the powerful essential oils in their rinds, citrus fruits are a huge source of flavorings
As Ina Garten will tell you, a squeeze of lemon adds that special something to just about every dish imaginable. There are endless recipes I could have chosen for my week long celebration of citrus, but I decided to focus on ones that feature the glorious fruit as the main ingredient.
Preserved lemons are best known as a Middle Eastern and North African condiment, but the concept of preserving lemons in some sort of brine is an ancient technique in lots of cultures.
Preserved lemons are lemons that are pickled in a brine of salt and their own juice. You can add a few spices if you want to, or leave them plain. The fruit ferments at room temperature for a month, and at the end you’ll have an authentic ingredient for Moroccan stews, tagines, salad and couscous. But, really, you can use them in anywhere you’d normally use lemons.
What do preserved lemons taste like?
Basically the flavor is like lemon on steroids. Intensely ‘lemony’, and silky textured.
The prized part of the preserved lemon is the rind, but you can use the flesh in cooking as well, just remember to remove the seeds.
How long do preserved lemons last?
Preserved lemons will last about 6 months to a year in the refrigerator. Keep them covered in the brine, which is what preserved them. Traditionally preserved lemons are shelf stable, but I like to err on the safe side and keep them chilled.
Your preserved lemons will be ready in a month and you’ll be using them with spring lamb, vegetable couscous, chicken, salads, and anywhere you’d use regular lemons. They’ll be your new secret ingredient!
How do you use preserved lemons?
- To use your lemons just remove one from the jar, and rinse it off to remove the salt. Then you can thinly slice the rind and use it in your recipes. The flesh is great to use, too, just remove the seeds.
- Preserved lemons can be used in Moroccan and Middle Eastern recipes like tagines, couscous, hummus, etc.
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Moroccan Preserved Lemons
Equipment
- wide mouth quart jar with lid
Ingredients
- 6-7 Meyer lemons, you can use regular lemons, choose small ones
- kosher salt
- extra fresh lemon juice, if needed (I needed the juice from 2 extra lemons)
- optional spices:
- 1 star anise
- 7 cardamom pods, cracked
- 3 pieces of cinnamon stick
- several cloves
- 1/2 tsp coriander seeds
- 1/2 tsp black peppercorns
- 1/2 tsp white peppercorns
- 3 bay leaves
Instructions
- Slice a bit off the stem end of the lemons, and then slice them in half, lengthwise, leaving about 1/2 inch at the bottom, in other words do not slice all the way through to the end. Then slice it in quarters the same way, so the lemon is still whole at the bottom. (See above photos)
- Sprinkle salt on all the exposed lemon flesh.
- Coat the bottom of the jar with salt, and put the lemons in,push them down and squish them a bit to fit them in. Layer more salt and the spices in between the lemons.
- Fit as many lemons as you can into the jar, and then add more lemon juice to insure that all the lemons are covered in juice.
- Let the jar sit at room temperature for about a month, shaking the jar every day to redistribute the juices. A cupboard is a good place. Then refrigerate. The preserved lemons should keep for a year in the fridge.
- When you want to use one of the lemons, take it out with clean tongs and rinse the salt off. Scrape off the flesh, seeds and pith and then slice or dice the rinds.
Help! This recipe sounds so great. I have my 7 Meyer lemons in my jar and everything is set. Except I have squeezed five lemons worth of juice into the jar and it is a little less than half full of juice. I can keep squeezing because I am blessed with a tree but I’m wondering if it matters if I add water? I think it will take about 6 more lemons for a total of 11 additional lemons to fill the jar with juice. I hope you can answer soon as soon as I’m standing here in my kitchen scratching my head!
Oh Ahulani I hope I’m answering in time! I think you can add water to the juice to make up the amount…good luck!
Thanks, Sue… I just went ahead and added water, but I boiled it just in case. The lemons are just fabulous!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Will be making more as the divine tree is giving forth another crop right now.
Enjoy!!
These sound great. I made preserved lemons one other time, but they didn’t have the cardamom and star anise to give those wonderful flavors. Will definitely want to try these, but Meyer lemons will never make it to this litrle island????. These would have been great with the Morrocan meatballs.
THANK YOU FOR THE INSPIRATION. YOUR IMAGES ARE BEAUTIFUL. I LOVE RECIPIES WITH PRESERVED LEMON. MY FAVORITE USE OF PRESERVED LEMON IS LEMON SLIVERS OVER FRENCH FETA CHEESE AND OLIVE OIL, SERVED WITH. PITA . SO YUMMY. I CAN HARDLY WAIT TO TRY YOUR LAMB MEATBALLS. THEY LOOK DELISH.
thanks for visiting, Connie — the lemon on feta sounds great, I’m going to try it, we do a lot of cheese plates in this house!
Everyone I have served it to loves it. The preserved lemon has such an interesting flavor. thank you for sharing your recipies. From now on when anyone asks me how to make preserved lemons I am going to refer them to your site.
I’m so glad everyone loved it, Connie. I love so many Middle Eastern recipes because of the unusual flavors.
This is something I have always wanted to do and never get around to it. This year will be the year!!
Have fun — and let me know how they turn out for you!
Nowhere in any of the recipes for preserved lemons do I see a caution that there will be fermentation. I opened my jar and there was an explosive amount of gas that escaped. Is there a danger that an unopened jar will explode without a release valve? Or have I done something wrong that causes the fermentation?
Hi Mary— a few recipes suggest covering the jar with muslin so gas can escape, but not all of them suggest that. I had no problem with the closed jar. It sounds like you may have gotten some spoilage going on in your jar, was it sterilized before you began?
OK, I’m just going to use all those spices and hope for the best! 🙂 Thanks for the recipe!
Do you use all the spices you listed? I’m getting ready to try my first jar and I’m not sure what to put in it!
You can, or you can tailor it to your own personal taste.
Made these and blogged about it. I hope you don’t mind, I linked you. Thanks for the recipe!
I can’t wait to try this! Here’s a recipe for you too . . . http://www.bhg.com/recipe/ice-cream/mandarins-and-ice-cream-cake/
Enjoy!
i have yet to try to preserve my own lemons, and i’ve always wanted to. I love all the spices and flavors in this! I’m noting this as a “to do” project.