Liz's larder
Preserved lemon recipe
This preserved lemon recipe is an easy kitchen staple to last you for weeks on end. Preserved citrus is a brilliantly versatile ingredient to have on standby in the kitchen.
If you’ve never tried preserved lemons, they add a gentle sourness and fragrance to dishes. They’d packed with flavour and elevate both Mediterranean and Middle Eastern recipes like tagines and stews.
While this recipe requires a little bit of patience before you can use the lemons, it is well worth the wait. We recommend storing your preserved lemons in the fridge for at least three weeks before using as this gives the lemons time to ferment and soften. Fermented foods are great for our gut, introducing friendly bacteria to our digestive systems. They can help to support our immune systems by ensuring a diverse microbiome. By making sure we have lots of good gut bugs, we can also help with our skin and even our mood too.
Once ready, our preserved lemon recipe serves as a wonderful addition to savoury dishes for an extra kick of flavour. They look beautiful too and make a great addition to a well stocked larder.
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Ingredients
- 5 lemons (organic, unwaxed)
- 4 tbsp vinegar
- 10 tsp sea salt (approx. 2 tsp salt per lemon)
Method
Fills a 800ml kilner jar
NOTE: When cooking with preserved lemons, use only the skin and discard the flesh. Alternatively, try freezing and grating into a dish.
- Soak the lemons in a bowl of water to soften the skin. Slice the tops and ends off the lemons, then slice them into segments (this makes it easier to remove the flesh and use the skin).
- Add them into a bowl and massage with the salt. Squeeze a few of the segments so there is some lemon juice in the bowl.
- Place the lemons into a sterile jar along with the lemon juice and shake well.
- Leave out of the fridge for three days, shaking upside down a few times a day. Refrigerate for three weeks before using, to allow the lemons time to ferment and soften.
