Preserved Lemons Recipe
Salt-preserved lemons, a recipe that changes everything in the kitchen!
If you love citrus fruits as much as I do, preserved lemons will quickly become a staple in your kitchen. It’s a simple, almost minimalist recipe, but it can transform even the simplest everyday dishes. And honestly, once you have a jar in the fridge, you’ll use it everywhere.
Preserved lemons in brine are those incredibly fragrant little condiments often found in Moroccan and Mediterranean cuisine, particularly in tagines, salads, and sauces. The principle is simple: lemon, salt, and patience… Fermentation transforms the lemon’s acidity into a complex, salty, intense, and slightly umami flavor. In short, it’s magic.
It’s peak lemon season (especially for French lemons), so now’s the perfect time to enjoy them. But the good news is that organic lemons are available year-round; so there’s nothing stopping you from picking them whenever you like.
What I love about this recipe is that it only requires 3 ingredients, it’s incredibly easy to make… and it keeps for a very long time. As with jams, it’s important to sterilize the jars properly.
The only real secret is patience; it takes about six months to get perfectly soft and fragrant candied lemons. My advice: prepare several small jars at a time. Once opened, candied lemons keep very well in the refrigerator for a month, so it’s more practical to open one at a time.
I must admit that last time, I only had one regret: not making more. So, I’m doing it again this year, with several jars, to make sure I always have some.
Homemade Preserved Lemons Recipe
Here are the ingredients you will need to prepare these homemade preserved lemons:
- Organic lemons
- Coarse sea salt; Guérande salt is ideal.
- Non-chlorinated water: let tap water sit uncovered for 2 hours, or even overnight, before using it.
How to use preserved lemon?
What’s great about preserved lemon is its incredible versatility:
- in a tagine or stew (it pairs perfectly with chicken),
- in a salad or vinaigrette for a tangy and salty touch, or even in a cake,
- pureed and spread on toasted country bread with ricotta and a drizzle of honey (yes, it’s delicious).
It’s truly an ingredient that can transform a simple dish into something much more interesting, and effortlessly.
And since I love citrus fruits and I love cooking them in all their forms, I have prepared below a small selection of lemon-based recipe ideas to inspire you even more.
In which dishes should preserved lemon be used or added?
Other recipe ideas using lemon:
Preserved Lemons Recipe
Ingredients
- Organic lemons
- Untreated coarse sea salt
- Non-chlorinated water*
Instructions
- Start by preparing your jars by boiling them for a few minutes in a large pot of water.Then carefully remove them and let them drain on a clean tea towel.
- Rinse your lemons thoroughly.On a clean cutting board, trim 0.5 cm off each end of the lemons.Cut each lemon in half lengthwise, then cut each half in half again in a crisscross pattern, without cutting all the way through.
- Add a pinch of coarse salt to each jar.Place the first lemon half at the bottom of the jar and add a teaspoon of coarse salt on top.Place the other lemon half on top, along with another teaspoon of coarse salt.Pour in the juice from the cut lemon and pack everything down firmly to extract as much juice as possible.If there's still room in your jar, continue layering the ingredients until the jar is full.
- Close the jar and let it sit for 24 hours.
- The next day, add dechlorinated water* to the jar until the lemons are completely covered.To prevent them from floating to the surface, you can place a small ramekin on top to keep them submerged.
- Store the jar at room temperature, away from light, and unopened for 6 months… Yes, you have to be patient!Once opened, the jar can be kept in the refrigerator for 1 month.
