Quick Preserved Lemon Substitute Recipe
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
5 mins
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Cook Time
15 mins
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Total Time
20 mins
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Servings
5
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Calories
16 kcal
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Course
Condiments
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Cuisine
Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, Persian, Moroccan
Quick Preserved Lemon Substitute Recipe
Description
The Quick Preserved Lemon Substitute Recipe combines thinly sliced lemons with fresh lemon juice and salt, then cooks them over low heat until the slices soften and the juice thickens into a syrup. The slow simmering breaks down the lemons’ rind and flesh, mellowing the bitterness and enhancing the lemon’s tartness while adding a salty complexity. The resulting preserved lemons have a softened texture and concentrated lemon flavor that can be used directly or pureed.
This method offers a practical alternative to traditional preserved lemons, saving days of curing time. The thick, syrupy lemon juice serves as a flavorful medium to keep the slices submerged and preserve them further in refrigeration.
Use these quick preserved lemons as a substitute for traditional preserved lemon in Moroccan, Middle Eastern, or Mediterranean recipes. They add brightness and depth to stews, salads, dressings, or sauces where preserved lemon is called for.
Store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a month, pressing the lemon slices into the juice and avoiding contamination for best results.
Ingredients
- 2 lemon ends trimmed and sliced thinly, small or 1 big
- ⅓ cup lemon juice from 2 to 3 lemons, fresh
- 2½ teaspoons salt
Instructions
- Pick out and discard any seeds from lemon slices. Then add the lemon slices, juice and salt to a saucepan for which you have a lid. Place it over medium heat. As soon as the lemon juice starts to simmer, turn the heat down to the lowest setting and cover it with a lid.
- Cook the lemons for 12 to 14 minutes – gently stirring halfway through. The juice will reduce to a thick syrupy consistency as the lemon slices soften.
- Allow the quick preserved lemons to cool to room temperature.
Notes
- If the lemon juice reduces too quickly before the lemons soften, add a splash of water and continue cooking gently.
- Store the finished preserved lemons in a clean, airtight container in the fridge for up to one month, always keeping the lemons submerged in the syrup.
- To use as a puree substitute, blend the cooked lemon slices with the syrup using a stick blender or mash with a mortar and pestle.
- One heaped tablespoon of this substitute replaces one preserved Beldi lemon in recipes.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 5Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 16 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 16kcal | 1% |
| Carbohydrates | 5g | 2% |
| Protein | 1g | 2% |
| Fat | 0.2g | 0% |
| Saturated Fat | 0.02g | 0% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 0.04g | 0% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 0.004g | 0% |
| Sodium | 1164mg | 49% |
| Potassium | 77mg | 2% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 1g | 2% |
| Vitamin A | 10IU | 0% |
| Vitamin C | 29mg | 32% |
| Calcium | 13mg | 1% |
| Iron | 0.3mg | 2% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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