Preserved lemons

Name: Preserved lemons
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 7 (approx)
Ingredients: 3 ½ lemons; 2 ½ tablespoon salt

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Prep Time
10 mins
rest time (min)
21 d
Total Time
10 mins
Servings
7 (approx)
Calories
16 kcal
Course
Condiments
Cuisine
Moroccan

Preserved lemons

Sasha Velasquez

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Preserved lemons are easy to make and add a wonderful depth of flavor to many dishes. Especially popular in Moroccan cooking.

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Ingredients

Servings

3 ½ lemons small or Meyer lemons, ideally organic unwaxed
2 ½ tablespoon salt non-iodized

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Instructions

Wash the lemons well, scrubbing any wax off if you were unable to get unwaxed. Trim the stem end off the three whole lemons.
Add around ½ tablespoon salt to the bottom of a sterile mason jar or medium jam jar.
Sit a lemon with the trimmed end down on a cutting board and cut down to leave just a little still joined at the bottom (around ⅓in/1cm from bottom). Cut again at right angles to make a cross shape.
Slightly open up the lemon and sprinkle 1/t tablespoon salt inside the cuts.
Place the lemon in the jar then repeat with 2 more lemons.
Press the lemons down in the jar well to release some of the lemon juice. Take another half lemon and squeeze more juice into the jar, then split this lemon half in two and add to the jar, pushing half down each side. Sprinkle the remaining salt over the top and put the lid on the jar.
Leave the jar overnight in a cool, dark place then the next day push down the lemons again to release more juice. If needed, add more lemon juice to ensure the lemons are just covered.
Cover with lid again then leave the jar at least 3 weeks to mature, in either a cool place or fridge. The lemons are good to use when the skin has softened and white pith is slightly opaque. Rinse off the piece you plan to use before using.

Notes

The amount of time they take to mature can vary depending on the lemons used. As noted above, they are ready when the white pith becomes relatively translucent, as in the piece on the plate in the photo above. Once mature, you can keep the lemons in the jar around 6 months in the fridge. You can add additional lemons to the jar as well, just try to use the older ones first.
Since the amount you use can vary hugely, a 'serving' has been estimated as half a lemon but can often be much less. The amount of salt absorbed is also impossible to guage so nutritional info is likely higher is sodium than in reality.

Nutrition Information

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Calories 16kcal (1%) Carbohydrates 5g (2%) Protein 1g (2%) Fat 1g (2%) Saturated Fat 1g (5%) Sodium 2493mg (104%) Potassium 75mg (2%) Fiber 2g (8%) Sugar 1g (2%) Vitamin A 12IU (0%) Vitamin C 29mg (32%) Calcium 16mg (2%) Iron 1mg (6%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 7(approx)

Amount Per Serving

Calories 16 kcal

% Daily Value*

Calories	16kcal	1%
Carbohydrates	5g	2%
Protein	1g	2%
Fat	1g	2%
Saturated Fat	1g	5%
Sodium	2493mg	104%
Potassium	75mg	2%
Fiber	2g	8%
Sugar	1g	2%
Vitamin A	12IU	0%
Vitamin C	29mg	32%
Calcium	16mg	2%
Iron	1mg	6%