This post was most recently updated on June 15th, 2021
Preserved lemons are one of my favourite flavours. I use preserved lemon a lot in my cooking, and they are so pricey to buy and preserving lemons is so easy to do! Salted lemons are used in traditional Moroccan and Persian dishes and are well known for adding to tagine meals.
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Salted lemon removes the bitterness from the skins and improves the lemon flavor. Traditionally you use just two ingredients to make preserved lemon – salt and lemons, plus additional lemon juice which you can squeeze from more lemons or used bottled juice, I prefer to use fresh lemon juice..
Ideally you would use non-iodized sea salt or rock salt in this recipe, kosher salt also works well. Salted lemons will last for up to a year at room temperature as long as enough salt and lemon juice is used. The salted lemons will slowly form their own brine and then use lacto-fermentation to become a salty pickled lemon.
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You can use the lemon flesh in recipes that will cook down, but the real star of the show is the lemon rind. Slice it finely and add it to a recipe for a fresh lemon flavor.
Because money is tight here, and I can’t afford to buy produce out of season, this preserved lemon recipe is perfect for allowing me to have that fresh lemon flavour all year round.
Winteris the time of year when lemons finally become affordable to frugal stingy bums like me.
It is very convenient that it is also cold season and lemons are amazing for traditional cold remedies like lemon and honey drink – 2T lemon juice, 1/2-1t honey + hot water. Or check out my home made cough syrup. Isn’t nature clever?
Every year when lemons hit under $2 a kg ($1 a pound) I buy a large bag (or two!) and preserve them. Preserved lemons are traditional in Moroccan/north African cooking, but I sneak them in lots of things including curry, coleslaw, yogurt and garlic sauce for dona kebabs.
Preserving them not only makes them last longer but it removes that bitterness and brings out the pure lemony goodness. Today a whipped up a 3L glass jar full for our years supply, here is how you can do it too.
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Easy Salted Preserved Lemons Recipe
You Need:
1 -1.5kg lemons, (preferably Meyer lemons as they are sweeter)
1/4- 1/2 cup salt
A very large jar
1). Wash your lemons with a tiny amount of detergent. This removes the wax they coat them in to make them look pretty.
2). Trim the stalk ends off lemons, taking care not to cut into the flesh, then slice the lemons as if to quarter them but still keep the base of the lemon intact.
3). Sprinkle the interior of each lemon with about a tablespoon or so of salt then layer in your mason jar, crock or fermentation device, you really have to squish them in there, just be careful you don’t break your jar!
4). Inthe top of the jar add a further 2-3T of salt
5). Mash with a wooden spoon/rolling pin or large dowel until the rinds of the lemon begin to soften and the lemons release their juice.
6). Add 2-3 extra lemons worth of juice to cover everything up until your lemons fill the jar and rest below the level of the brine.
7). Ferment at room temperature for three to four weeks. Open the jar every few days for the first 2-3 weeks to release any gas build up to prevent your jar cracking.
Can you get botulism from preserved lemons?
Botulismis a rare but potentially deadly illnesscausedby a poison most commonly produced by a germ called Clostridiumbotulinum. The germ is found in soil and can survive, grow, and produce a toxin in certain conditions, such as when food is improperly canned. Preserved lemons are fermented in an acidic and salty environment where it is not possible for the bad bacteria to grow, this is why it is important to follow the directions carefully, and to not skimp on the salt or lemon juice.
How long does a jar of preserved lemons last?
Lemons can be kept for one to two years, most recipes suggest in the fridge, but I have always kept mine at room temperature with no problems as once the fermentation has happened the acid and salt will preserve the fruit. They may start to become more mushy as the bacteria break down the lemons, but they are still safe to eat.
Prep Time: 20 minutes Additional Time: 14 days Total Time: 14 days 20 minutes The easy way to salt preserved lemons 1). Wash your lemons with a tiny amount of detergent. This removes the wax they coat them in to make them look pretty. 2). Trim the stalk ends off lemons, taking care not to cut into the flesh, then slice the lemons as if to quarter them but still keep the base of the lemon intact. 3). Sprinkle the interior of each lemon with about a tablespoon or so of salt then layer in your mason jar, crock or fermentation device, you really have to squish them in there, just be careful you don't break your jar! 4). Inthe top of the jar add a further 2-3T of salt 5). Mash with a wooden spoon/rolling pin or large dowel until the rinds of the lemon begin to soften and the lemons release their juice. 6). Add 2-3 extra lemons worth of juice to cover everything up until your lemons fill the jar and rest below the level of the brine. 7). Ferment at room temperature for three to four weeks. Open the jar every few days for the first 2-3 weeks to release any gas build up to prevent your jar cracking. Lemons can be kept for one to two years, most recipes suggest in the fridge, but I have always kept mine at room temperature with no problems.
Preserving Lemons in salt
Ingredients
Instructions
Notes
