By making preserved lemons, you are adding an important ingredient to your pantry that can elevate most normal dishes and gives them this strong lemon aroma. From North Africa, with LOVE !!!
Here’s How It’s Done:
Sterilize the jar
Wash a clamp-lid jar (IKEA-style) with detergent. Oven-dry the glass at 140 °C / 285 °F for 20 min.
Submerge the rubber seal in boiling water for 10 min. Air-dry completely.
Prep the lemons
Use organic lemons; scrub very well (we’ll eat the peel).
Trim only the tips (avoid cutting into the yellow flesh).
Cut lengthwise almost through, rotate 90°, cut again—leave a hinge so each lemon stays connected.
Salt each lemon
Pack with salt: about 3 tsp per lemon (≈ 1½ tsp per inner “cross” cut; rule of thumb from the video).
Use coarse sea salt (non-iodized) for cleaner fermentation.
Pack the jar tightly
Press lemons into the sterile jaras tightly as possible to minimize air space.
Sprinkle in any fallen salt. The lemons should be snug.
Start the cure (days 0–5)
Label the date. Store at room temp, in a dark cupboard, for 5 days.
The salt will pull out juice, but usually not enough to cover yet.
Top up with lemon juice (day 5)
Open the jar and add fresh lemon juice until the fruit is fully submerged.
Close and return to the cupboard.
Finish the cure (days 5–28)
Let cure for an additional 23 days (total ≈ 28 days / 4 weeks).
Done when peels are soft and slightly translucent.
Store & use
Refrigerate up to 6 months (keep fully covered in brine).
For cooking, use mostly the peel; rinse to control salt, then chop finely.
Great in tagines, salads, vinaigrettes, salsas, and guacamole.
Notes & Swaps
Lemon size & jar: Choose a jar that fits lemons tightly (≈ 0.75–1 L for 6–8 small lemons).
Safety: Fruit must stay submerged. If you see mold on the surface, discard; a harmless kahm yeast film can be skimmed, but when in doubt, throw it out.
Add-ins (optional): A few peppercorns, a bay leaf, a strip of cinnamon, or a small chili can perfume the brine—use sparingly.
Salt alternatives: Kosher or coarse sea salt only; avoid iodized (can cloud brine and affect texture).
Brine reuse: Spoon some brine into dressings or marinades for instant lemony salinity.
