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Preserved Lemons

Preserved lemon is a North African and Middle Eastern condiment that is essentially a pickled lemon. It softens the rind and is a mild way to add acid to any of your recipes. It's just two ingredients and is so versatile in any kind of cooking.
Prep Time:15 minutes
Resting Time:28 days
Course: condiment
Cuisine: Middle Eastern, North African
Keyword: condiment, lemon, preserved
Servings: 8 servings

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup kosher salt
  • 6 medium lemons
  • 1 mason jar

Instructions

  • Wash 5 lemons well and cut them into halves. Leave the tips intact and cut the halves into "quarters," spreading out the edges so that just the tip connects them.
  • Add the salt to a shallow dish and toss each lemon in the salt, using your fingers to coat the whole lemon in a thin layer of salt.
  • Squeeze the lemon pieces into the mason jar and press them down with your hands so that they are completely covered in their own juice. You want them as compact and covered as possible.
  • Squeeze just the juice of the remaining lemon over the top of the mason jar to make sure all the other lemons are fully covered in lemon juice.
  • Put this jar in the fridge, give it a flip every week, and it will be ready in about a month!