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- Serves:5
Preserved lemons are an intensely lemony condiment predominant in Moroccan and Middle Eastern cuisine. Not to be confused with lemon preserves, preserved lemons are whole or quartered lemons that have been pickled in a mixture of salt and lemon juice. The silky, almost creamy rind of the preserved lemon is consumed and the pulp is discarded. They make a lovely and unusual holiday gift for the foodie on your list.
Part of our Holiday Gifts for Food Lovers series.
More Food Gift Ideas!
Why try? Preserved lemons take a familiar ingredient in a different direction than typically found in the American kitchen. The flavor and texture of preserved lemons are unique and cannot be replicated with other ingredients. Add them to soups, stews and salads to give your favorite dishes new life.
Foodie Byte: Before using a preserved lemon, it should be removed from the brine, rinsed with water, and the pulp should be removed. The rind is then typically cut into small pieces or thin strips and sprinkled into soups and salads. Preserved lemons are often used in tagines, which are traditional Moroccan stews. If giving as a gift, you may wish to include our recipe for Chicken Tangine.
Ingredients
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4 lemons*
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1½ cups lemon juice*
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2 cups Kosher salt
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*the amount of lemons and lemon juice required will vary according to the size of the lemons.
Preparation
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1
With soap and boiling water, thoroughly clean a small ramekin, a 1-quart glass jar and its air-tight lid. Allow to dry completely.
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2
Thoroughly scrub the lemons and wash with soap and water. Slice the small bumps off both ends of the lemon, then quarter each lemon pole to pole. (If you are giving the lemons as a gift, you may wish to remove the seeds and trim the white material that runs from top to bottom through the lemon.)
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3
Pour salt into a bowl. Place each lemon slice into the salt, one at a time, rolling it until the lemon is heavily caked in salt. Place the lemon into the glass jar. Repeat until the glass jar is almost completely packed.
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4
Pour the lemon juice into the jar, leaving ½” of space at the top. Add a tablespoon of salt.
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5
To ensure the lemons remain completely submerged in lemon juice, place the bottom of the ramekin through the mouth of the jar and on top of the lemons. Close the lid.
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6
Allow the lemons to pickle for 30 days at room temperature, turning/shaking the jar each day to redistribute the salt throughout the liquid. The lemons will be fully-preserved after 30 days. The preserved lemons can be transferred to refrigeration and stored for up to 6 months.
Additional Info
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