How to Make Preserved Lemons

Preserving Lemons is easy! All you do is cut washed lemons in quarters, saturate them with kosher salt, and smash them in a clean jar! Let them naturally ferment on the counter for several days and up to 3 weeks. Delight your taste buds with bits of lightly salty bright preserved lemon in your soups, greens, grains, and salad dressings! 
Click here to PIN How to Make Preserved Lemons!

JUMP DIRECTLY TO RECIPE

Have you come across recipes calling for preserved lemons, and either decided not to try the recipe or just leave out that ingredient? That used to be me. Not any more. Once I learned how easy they are to make, I keep finding more ways to include their unique bright flavor in my cooking!

Lemons preserved in a salty lemon brine are a staple in Moroccan, Middle-Eastern, and Southern Indian cuisines. Sometimes they are called pickled lemons. As the lemons ferment in their salty juice, the bitterness of the peel transforms into a softened bright intense lemon flavor that enhances all kinds of food!

What kind of lemons can I use for preserved lemons?

• You can use regular lemons or Meyer lemons. Meyer lemons are the citrus hybrid of lemon and orange. They are tiny bit sweeter, and in my experience, a lot juicier than regular lemons.
• I recommend organic lemons because any pesticide residue will be in the skin, and that’s what preserved lemons are–salt-fermented lemon skins.
• Whatever lemons you choose, wash them well! The skins of almost all citrus, organic too, are waxed for longer shelf life.

How long do preserved lemons last?

• Don’t feel like you have to hurry and use them up before they go bad. Preserved in salt, lemons will keep for about a year in the refrigerator. Start seeking recipes that would love a bright lemon flavor bump, and put those recipes in your menu plan.
• In Morocco, preserved lemons are left at room temperature, but it’s safer to refrigerate the jar after the lemons ferment for a time. On the counter or in the fridge, always make sure the squashed lemons are covered with the salty lemon juice.

What can I do with preserved lemons?

Try adding bits of preserved lemon wherever you’d be using lemon zest. Heighten the flavor of soups, salads, sauces, dips, and dressings. *** Before chopping preserved lemons give them a quick rinse under cool water to remove excess salt.

• Make Chicory Soup with Barley and Lemon.
• Stir bits of chopped preserved lemon into Very Brown Rice.
• Add to Pinto Beans for a Moroccan-inspired side dish.
• Finely chopped, they bring an exotic note to hummus salad dressing.
• When you make simple vinaigrette in the blender, blend in a teaspoon of preserved lemon pieces.
• Add to Kale and Quinoa Salad.
• You will love the flavor preserved lemons bring to fresh tomato salsa!
• Preserved lemons and beets are a flavor match made in heaven!
• Try them stirred into whole wheat parsley fettuccine or other pasta dishes.

Make it a flavorful day–get in the kitchen and try something new!

Thanks for being here. To get my latest recipe posts and exclusive monthly newsletters, subscribe here. (I hate Spam too and will never share your email with anyone.)

• Follow me on Instagram! It’s my favorite!
• Peruse my Pinterest boards for more vegetarian recipe ideas.
• Find daily vegetarian and healthy living ideas on my Facebook page.

This post contains Amazon affiliate links. If you purchase products via my links, it doesn’t cost you anything and I earn a tiny commission, which helps defray the costs of Letty’s Kitchen blog. Thank you for supporting Letty’s Kitchen.

PS If you make preserved lemons and love them, please consider leaving a blog post comment. Your comments help other readers learn more about the recipe. If you’d also give the recipe a ✮✮✮✮✮ rating, I’d be delighted!

Print Recipe

5 from 3 votes

How to Make Preserved Lemons

Preserving Lemons is easy! Cut pieces of preserved lemon into bits and add them to soups, sauteed greens, and grains, like quinoa or rice. Makes one quart-size jar. Preserved lemons in smaller jars make welcome gifts. The sodium level for preserved lemons is lower than the nutrition fact calculation because before using preserved lemons, we rinse them quickly in cool running water.

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time0 minutes mins

Resting time.4 days d

Total Time4 days d 20 minutes mins

Course: Component

Cuisine: Vegetarian

Keyword: preserved lemons, lemons, kosher salt

Servings: 50 servings

Author: Letty | @lettyskitchen

Ingredients

• 5 each lemons , preferably organic (see note)
• ¾ cup kosher salt
• Extra lemon juice , if needed

Instructions

• Use a clean 1-quart jar. I immersed jar my in boiling water for a minute and turned it upside down on a clean towel. Use a new lid.
• Trim the ends off of the lemons. Slice them in quarters lengthwise, keeping one end intact. (see note)
• Pour kosher salt in the middle of the open lemons.
• Squeeze one of the salted lemons into the clean jar, pressing down to pack it in and release lemon juice. Add the other lemons, one at a time, pressing down until plenty of juice flows around the lemons. (I pressed using the end of my French rolling pin without handles.)
• Be sure your lemons are covered with juice. If you need to, top with extra juice.
• Screw the lid on tightly and leave on the counter for at least a couple of days. Turn the jar upside down several times a day to allow the salted juice to flow around the lemons. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• Preserved lemons keep a long time, up to a year.

Notes

• Organic lemons are best because any pesticide residue will be in the skin of fruits and vegetables.
• Some recipes say to cut the fruit completely in quarters, but I like to keep the lemons intact at their bottom. That way there's a little nest to hold plenty of salt.

Nutrition

Calories: 1kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1698mg | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 1mg

Did you make this recipe?Mention @lettyskitchen or tag #lettyskitchen

Recently I received a retro blue Ball canning jar, which inspired me to update this recipe, one I posted originally in January 2015!