Preserved Lemons

Preserved lemons are a fantastic way to elevate your dishes to a whole new level. Preserved lemons have a wonderful and complex flavor that is somewhere between briney and citrusy. I use preserved lemons in many of my dishes and I think you should too.

Making preserved lemons is super simple. You will need four organic lemons that have been washed well, a 1/4 cup of salt, water, and a quart-sized mason jar with lid and ring. Take three of the lemons and slice them into quarter inch thick rings, discarding the ends. Place the sliced lemons in a very clean quart sized mason jar. Add the juice of the remaining (fourth) lemon to the jar and top with ¼ cup of salt. Fill the jar the remainder of the way with cold water and seal. Give the jar a good shake. Allow the lemons to marinate in the refrigerator for three weeks before using. I like to date the top of the mason jar lid with a marker so that I can keep track of when three weeks’ time is up.

During the preservation process, shake your jar of lemons daily. You will also want to make sure that the lemons stay submerged in the saltwater brine at all times. If necessary, add additional water to the jar to keep the lemons submerged. Once preserved, use these lemons in salad dressings, dips, drinks or to brighten up main dishes.

Print Recipe

Preserved Lemons

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Preserve Time21 days d

Total Time21 days d 5 minutes mins

Ingredients

• 1 quart-sized glass mason jar
• 4 lemons
• ¼ cup salt
• water

Instructions

• Slice three lemons into quarter inch thick rings, discard the ends.
• Place sliced lemons in a very clean quart sized mason jar.
• Add the juice of the remaining (fourth) lemon to the jar and top with salt.
• Fill the jar the remainder of the way with cold water and seal jar. Give the jar a good shake to mix well.
• Store preserved lemons in the refrigerator and allow to marinate for three weeks before using.
• Shake your jar of lemons daily until they have been preserved. The lemons should stay submerged in the saltwater brine at all times. If necessary, add additional water to the jar to keep the lemons submerged
• Once preserved, use lemons in salad dressings, dips, drinks or to brighten up main dishes.