published Feb 04, 2022, updated Jun 05, 2024 Learn how to make preserved lemons and add incredible bright, tangy flavors to your home cooking — or just to keep them in your fridge for a quick, sweet and sour snack. Moroccan preserved lemons are commonly associated with Northern African cuisine, but they’re popular in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cooking too. Some eat them as a snack, but they’re usually used as a flavoring ingredient in other recipes. For example, I use the pulp and juice in the marinade for chermoula chicken and slices of the preserved lemons in beef or chicken tagine stew. You can make that same stew vegetarian-friendly, in case you were wondering! The prep time is quick, but note that you’ll need to wait at least a month before you can enjoy your preserved lemons. It’s also possible to make a quick lemon pickle with lemon slices if you’re feeling impatient!
Recommended Tools
Glass Canning Jar – Make sure it’s sterilized before beginning. Wash well in hot, soapy water and then boil for 10 minutes for good measure. Do this just before jarring the preserved lemons to leave no time nor room for anything to contaminate the glass.
Storing
After a jar is opened, the preserved lemons need to be refrigerated. And as long as they stay refrigerated, they will keep for up to one year before going bad — though I’ll be surprised if they last that long!
Lemons – You’ll want to have at least 10 large ones on standby for these Moroccan preserved lemons. You’ll start by adding 6 lemons to the jar, then use the juice from 4 more to cover the fruit. You might want to add even more after the fermentation starts! Fennel Seeds – A spice to add warm, licorice-like sweetness to the fruit. Try anise if you’re looking for a substitute. Ground Coriander – A floral spice with a citrus note similar to the fruit’s seasoning. Cumin seeds are the closest alternative. Black Pepper – Some recipes use the whole peppercorns, but I find that’s more for aesthetics than how to make preserved lemons with a bit of spice to them! Grind the peppercorns fresh for the strongest flavor, and stick to black for authentic Moroccan preserved lemons. Ground Cinnamon – A warm and earthy spice — another common Moroccan ingredient. Salt – Use kosher or sea salt. Table salt comes off as saltier than these larger-grained salts because it dissolves more easily in the liquid, making it a bit too harsh for preserving fruit.
If the fruit begins to take on a more foul sour scent, if its texture becomes mushy or slimy, or if the jar’s lid starts bulging, they have likely gone bad. Discard rather than risk food-borne illness. Love this recipe? Share it with the world on Pinterest.
