Preserved Lemon Recipe (A Traditional Moroccan Staple)
Preserved Lemons are a Moroccan cuisine cooking staple. This recipe for preserving lemons is quick and easy, and adds a great depth of flavor to a wide variety of Moroccan marinades, tagines, salsas, sauces and more! Prepped within 10 minutes, this recipe yields 6 preserved lemons.
If you enjoy the flavor profile of these lemons, you will love how they are celebrated in authentic Moroccan recipes like this homemade chermoula marinade, Moroccan chicken tagine, and lamb shank tagine.
How to Make Them
Fresh vs. Preserved
If you’ve never tried lemons prepared this way before, you may be wondering what the big deal is.
The difference between a Moroccan preserved lemon and a fresh one is truly night and day.
While lemons are known for their bright, acidic flavor, preserving them tames the sharp sourness, and lends to a rich umami lemon flavor.
This recipe calls for only two ingredients (lemons and salt), the result is a rich flavor that adds depth to just about any savory dish.
Where to Use Them
Many of the most popular recipes in Morocco require preserved lemons to develop the rich and unique broth.
Here are some of my favorite recipes that you can try out with your new special ingredient:
And here are some general ideas for using the lemons:
- Marinades for chicken (pictured below), fish, or veggies
- Stews and soups
- Salsas or sauces of any kind
Bismillah,
Preserved Lemons (A Moroccan Cooking Staple)
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 3 weeks
- Yield: 4 lemons
- Category: side dish
- Method: preserved
- Cuisine: Moroccan, North African, Mediterannean, African
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Preserved Lemons are a Moroccan cuisine cooking staple. This recipe for preserving lemons is quick and easy, and adds a great depth of flavor to a wide variety of Moroccan marinades, tagines, salsas, sauces and more! Prepped within 10 minutes, this recipe yields 6 preserved lemons.
Ingredients
- 4 lemons, scored into quarters
- 1 cup lemon juice (about 4 additional lemons)
- 1/2 cup salt
Instructions
- Prep. Wash and scrub the lemons to remove any dirt from the skin. Score into quarters and fill each lemon generously with salt, rubbing it to coat each section.
- Can. Squeeze the lemons into canning jars and sprinkle with another few tablespoons of salt. Fill the jar with lemon juice, making sure it covers the lemons completely. Loosely seal with the lid.
- Preserve. Let sit on the counter for a week and then transfer to the fridge for an additional 2 weeks or until the skin is soft and can be easily punctured with a butter knife. Use in sauces, marinades and with roasted dishes!
Hi Salima, the link to good canning jars didn’t work for me, could you let me know what size canning jar is appropriate for this recipe?
Thank you!
Hi Emma, thanks for letting me know! You can use any kind of canning jar, I like using these Ball jars: https://amzn.to/3JmkXlT
Do you have a preferred type of salt (table, kosher, seasalt)? Does crystal size matter?
Thanks!
Hi Nan! I typically use Kosher salt, but any salt will work here.
Is there a place to purchase preserved lemons? I want to make some Moroccan dish for a party and I cannot wait 3 weeks for the lemons to be done! Thanks!
Hi Cindy, yes you can find preserved lemons at special grocery stores that have global foods sections. I’ve also had luck at World Market and when all else fails, I buy these on Amazon.
When using the preserved lemons do you rinse off the salt first?
Nope, no need to rinse anything off. The salt is what preserves them, so it gets absorbed and you’ll notice there isn’t any salt remaining in the jar after the preserving period is over.