Easy Preserved Lemons

These Preserved Lemons are quite possibly the easiest preserving recipe I have made to date. They are absolutely delicious and I love using preserved lemons in tagines, roast chickens or sliced into thin slices for the top of a fresh seasonal salad. They originated in the Middle East and Mediterranean regions but are now popular throughout the world.

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Save money by making your own…

I’ve been buying preserved lemons from the local deli but has anyone noticed how expensive they are? I could buy 3 or 4 other ingredients if I didn’t indulge in such delicacies. So why not make this recipe and save yourself a few bucks in the process that can be spent on other shopping items or in my case more kombucha or other delicious ferments.

(lovely lemons video link to be updated)

But how do I use these lemons?…

These lemons are addictive and delicious in many recipes. I love to use them in Moroccan tagine dishes and that’s where I use most of my preserved lemons. You can also use them in salads, sliced thinly and in salsas and dips. They also work really well in pasta dishes and are fabulous stuffed inside a roast chicken.

They also make such pretty gifts and I love to add a ribbon and tag and give them out to family members to use in recipes or you can also add them to a hamper for a lovely home made element.

I love using these jars below for preserving these lemons and handing them out as pretty gifts!

Using the best ingredients…

You really want to use only Organic lemons for this recipe. When it comes to eating these you will be eating the skins and not the flesh so you don’t want to be consuming any nasty chemicals that may have been sprayed onto the skins. So Organic is important in this recipe. I also like to use flaked sea salt such as the brand below as its easier to cover the flesh of the lemons.

Preserved Lemons Recipe

Ingredients

12-14 Organic Lemons

200g+ flaked sea salt

10 bay leaves

2 -4cinnamon sticks

2 x 500ml Jars or 4 x 250ml jars

Sterilise your jars in boiling water or a low oven for a few minutes.

Slice the base off of each lemon and slice each lemon into quarters, almost down to the base of the lemon but not completely slicing the quarter off, to keep the lemons whole. They should open out like a little star type shape.

Empty the salt into a large bowl and place the lemons into the bowl. Open out the lemons and add at least a tsp of salt into the middle of the lemon. Spread over the center of the lemon and ensure it is all well covered.

Place the whole (but quartered) lemons into the sterilised jar and sprinkle in some bay leaves between them. Take a rolling pin and very carefully (holding the glass firmly) squash down the lemons in the jar to release the juice out into the jar. You should be able to add in an additional lemon or two after doing this. Keep squashing down until you get enough juice in the jar to cover the lemons.

Add in another tbsp of salt on the top and squeeze the cinnamon stick down the side.

Seal and store the lemons in a cool place and try to leave for two months before using.

When ready to use check out my recipe for my (Slow Cooked Chicken, Olive and Lemon Bake), its absolutely delicious! If your using them for something else, just give them a rinse and slice out the flesh. You can then slice them into salads or other recipes. Enjoy!

About me…

Looking for more delicious recipes…

If you enjoyed this recipe you may also enjoy my delicious Creamy leek & goats cheese tart. It works well as a light evening meal or a delicious warming lunch with a salad, some baby potatoes or some root vegetables.