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    Moroccan Preserved Lemon Recipe

    Canning & Preserving, Cooking, Easy Recipes Jump to Recipe

    preserved lemon on a cutting board with a wooden spoon filled with salt with a jar of lemons in the background

    Preserved lemons are a staple in Moroccan cuisine, but they can be expensive or hard to find. Following this preserved lemon recipe, you can make your own for pennies using just two ingredients — lemon and salt. The preserved lemon rind can be used in all kinds of dishes, including entrees, salad dressing and sides.

    I have a wonderful recipe for Moroccan Chicken that is a packed with flavor and makes a great weeknight meal, even though it sounds very exotic. However, there’s one ingredient that can be hard to find — and expensive when you do — preserved lemons.

    The preserved lemons give the dish a zip and a zing that it lacks if you skip them or substitute regular lemons. So after using up the last of the jar I purchased, I decided to make my own.

    Moroccan Preserved Lemons in a jar with a wooden tag

    Turns out, these are really easy to make, and they last a long time, too — up to six months in the fridge. So, they also make a good food gift. (Hint: Pin this recipe,, then make a batch for neighbor gifts and teacher gifts next Christmas.)

    Ingredients to Make Preserved Lemons

    You need only two ingredients to make preserved lemons — lemons and salt. Some preserved lemon recipes call for sea salt and others call for kosher salt. You can use either one for this recipe.

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    You’ll also need some sterilized jars, but you don’t have to process the preserved lemons like other foods you can.

    three jars of Moroccan Preserved Lemons

    The only downside to this preserved lemon recipe is you have to be patient. It takes a month for the lemons to be ready to use. So, make some now and you’ll be able to plan a very special meal in a month!

    If you’re trying to eat healthier, preserved lemons are a great staple to have in your refrigerator. They add such wonderful flavor to your recipes, without the addition of calories and fat.

    This article from NPR has some great ideas for using preserved lemons.

    How to Make Preserved Lemons

    lemons and jars ready to make preserved lemons

    To get started, I gathered my ingredients — lemons and salt — and tools I would need. I sterilized some canning jars and lids in the dishwasher, but you can also boil them in a pan on your stovetop.

    quartered lemon for preserved lemons

    I washed each lemon and quartered it, being careful to leave the stem end intact.

    Quartered lemon coated in salt to make preserved lemons

    Next, I stuffed each lemon with a tablespoon of salt, being careful to coat each quarter. Then, I stuffed the lemons into jars.

    making preserved lemons

    And by stuffed, I really mean stuffed. Wrestle as many full lemons into a jar as you can. I ended up consolidating my lemons into two jars. A wide mouth jar is essential or you’ll squirt yourself in the face with lemon juice and make a mess of the kitchen.

    Once the jars are filled, seal them and set them aside in a cool place for three or four days.

    Moroccan Preserved Lemon in a wide mouth jar

    On the third or fourth day, open the jars and push the lemons down to release the juice. Your goal is to have the lemons covered in juice. You may need to add juice from some freshly squeezed lemons to accomplish this.

    Seal the jars and store them in a cool place. Then wait at least a month before using them.

    When you remove a lemon from the jar, remove the pulp and rinse the peel to remove the salt. You’ll use the preserved lemon rind in recipes. If any of the peel was not covered with juice, it may develop a whitish mold on it. The recipes I consulted said this is harmless, and it can be washed off.

    Preserved lemons are used primarily in Moroccan cuisine, but Apartment Therapy’s The Kitchn has a list of great ideas for using preserved lemons in your cooking. You can also find a list of 31 dishes that use preserved lemons at Food.com.

    jar of Moroccan Preserved Lemon

    Moroccan Preserved Lemons

    Preserved lemons are a staple in Moroccan cuisine, but they can be expensive or hard to find. Following this preserved lemon recipe, you can make your own for pennies.
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    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Prep Time 15 mins
    Course Preserves
    Cuisine Moroccan
    Servings 12 servings
    Calories 10 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 4 lemons quartered, plus additional lemons for juicing
    • 4 tablespoons sea salt or kosher salt

    Instructions
     

    • Thoroughly wash four lemons. Quarter them, being careful to leave the stem end intact.
    • Stuffed each lemon with a tablespoon of salt, being careful to coat each quarter. Squeeze the salted lemons closed and stuff them tightly into sterilized jars.
    • Once the jars are filled, seal them and set them aside in a cool place for three or four days.
    • On the third or fourth day, open the jars and push the lemons down to release the juice. Your goal is to have the lemons covered in juice. You may need to add more juice from some freshly squeezed lemons to accomplish this.
    • Seal the jars and store them in a cool place. Then wait at least a month before using them.
    • To use the preserved rind, remove a lemon quarter from the jar, remove the pulp and rinse the peel to remove any salt or white coating. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 10kcalCarbohydrates: 3gSodium: 2326mgPotassium: 49mgFiber: 1gVitamin A: 10IUVitamin C: 19.1mgCalcium: 11mgIron: 0.2mg
    Did You Make This?Mention @AttaGirlSays or tag #attagirlsays!

     

    Pin This! Moroccan Preserved Lemons Recipe

    preserved lemon on a cutting board with a wooden spoon filled with salt with a jar of lemons in the background

    Filed Under: Canning & Preserving, Cooking, Easy Recipes Tagged With: canning, food gifts

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Madonna/aka/Ms. Lemon

      January 13, 2014 at 7:30 pm

      I have been making these for a couple years now. I contemplated for so long fearing I would poison myself or others, but after copious reading I decided to make them. They are just wonderful and such a flavor booster. Yours look delicious and your jars look like a gift anyone would want.

      I almost forgot – I came from Debbie’s at Confessions of a Plate Addict.

      Madonna

      Reply
    2. Yvonne @ StoneGable

      January 07, 2014 at 9:18 am

      Oh, YUMMY! I adore preserved lemons! They are wonderful to cook with. Thanks for the puckery recipe!

      Reply
      • Atta Girl Amy

        January 09, 2014 at 7:56 pm

        Yvonne, I’d love to know how you use preserved lemons. Do share any recipes you have!

        Reply

    Trackbacks

    1. THE SCOOP #101 says:
      May 1, 2014 at 11:39 PM

      […]   Where is it 4 degrees one day and rainy and 70 degrees 4 days later? In Eastern North Carolina. The land of “if you don’t like the weather, wait until tomorrow.” Hi Everyone! This is Barb with The Everyday Home and I am happy to be your Co-Host this week. I sure hope everyone is experimenting a Winter thaw now. Unfortunately, I’m afraid that the worst may still be ahead of us. So, I thought you would love to get some ideas for cozying up your home for Winter. 25 Fabulous Bloggers will be sharing their “Cozy and Warm” ideas all this week. Head on over to Confessions of a Plate Addict to see the full schedule and Monday’s projects. I can’t wait to share my “Cozy Home” project with you this Friday. I’ve just completed some major “No-Cost” furniture changes in my home in an effort to create a warmer and welcoming setting. Until then… I would like to introduce you to one of my very dear friends – Amy at Atta Girl Says. If you don’t follow Amy’s blog, you have NO idea what you are missing. She’s a DIY/Craft/Recipe Diva…and I just adore her. So…take it away Amy! Hi, I’m Amy from the blog Atta Girl Says, where I share ideas to make your home brighter and your heart lighter. I’m very excited to be hosting The Scoop this week! This is Scoop #101, and in college a 101 level class is usually an introductory one. So, what better excuse to introduce myself and my blog to you. Crafty, sassy and irreverent, and just a little bit frazzled, I’m a “recovering” journalist, a “tarnished” Southern belle living in North Carolina and mother to the sweetest little boy ever. Creativity keeps me up at night ‚ and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I started my blog nearly two years ago to nurture my creativity and to encourage other women to do the same. I’m a cook, crafter, furniture painter, decorator and consummate dabbler in all things domestic. Here are a few of my recent projects: Easy Preserved Lemons Recipe […]

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    2. The Scoop Link Party #101 - Worthing Court says:
      January 13, 2014 at 6:01 PM

      […] Easy Preserved Lemons Recipe […]

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