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5.0 from 24 votes

Quick Preserved Lemon Substitute Recipe

This recipe makes the best preserved lemon substitute. It is salty and savoury with that complex candy-like lemon flavour of Morrocan preserved lemons. And it's ready in less than 30 minutes – much quicker than the weeks required for preserved lemons. Why not make a double batch while you're at it?

Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
5 mins
Total Time
20 mins
Servings: 5
Calories: 16 kcal
Course: Condiments
Cuisine: Mediterranean , Middle Eastern , Persian , Moroccan

Ingredients

  • 2 small lemons (or 1 big one), ends trimmed and sliced thinly
  • ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice, from 2 to 3 lemons
  • 2½ teaspoons salt

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. Allow the quick preserved lemons to cool to room temperature.

Notes

  •  
  • This substitute recipe is an adaptation of the "cheat's preserved lemon paste" in OTK: Extra Good Things by Yotam Ottolenghi and Noor Murad.
  • Keep an eye on the pot during cooking. If it dries up before the lemons are soft, add a splash of water and continue cooking.
  • Store the quick preserved lemons in a clean airtight container in the fridge for up to a month. Gently press the lemon rind down to submerge it in the lemon juice. Use clean utensils (not fingers) to remove the lemon slices from the jar.
  • For preserved lemon pureé substitute, use a stick blender to blitz the cooked lemon slices into a pureé, along with the salty liquid. Or use a mortar and pestle to bash it into a paste.
  • Take a heaped tablespoon of this cheat's preserved lemon to substitute one preserved Beldi lemon.

Nutrition Information

Calories 16kcal (1%) Carbohydrates 5g (2%) Protein 1g (2%) Fat 0.2g (0%) Saturated Fat 0.02g (0%) Polyunsaturated Fat 0.04g Monounsaturated Fat 0.004g 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%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 5Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 16

% 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.