Wow Them: Easy Salt-Preserved Lemons

Give a Moroccan, umami lift to your Holiday cheese & charcutierie boards!  These preserved lemons are easy to make & will be ready in just 3 weeks---

Salt-preserved lemons, a popular ingredient in many Middle Eastern & Moroccan recipes,  are often found for sale in foody boutiques & are usually quite expensive. If you have ever tasted them, you know what a lovely punch they pack! Their  bright & deeply umami notes are quite Heavenly & can be used in myriad ways. Lovely on cheese boards, in dressings & compound butters, & to highlight entrees, preserved lemons are definitely worth exploring! What you may not realize is that they are extremely easy to make at home, for all you really need is lemons, salt, & time. In fact, if you get them started this week, you will have them in plenty of time to enjoy over the Holidays.

The method to preserving them is dead-easy -- literally, you cut lemons, rub them with salt, then press them into Mason jars in layers with more salt & ensure they are covered in lemon juice. And then you WAIT for 3-4 weeks, shaking your jar everyone in a while. There are tons of posts online giving detailed instructions; one of the clearest can be found here.
​ Instead of method, I will focus on details & tips here, as well as some easy uses for your pickled treasures once their transformation is complete. 

Bowl of Preserved Lemons. Image: Food52

I prefer Meyer Lemons & Pink Himalayan Salt

First of all, I highly recommend using only organic lemons. The peels undergo the greatest transformation & are the true consumable prize in this endeavor, so we want to be sure they are free of pesticides & chemicals. The preserved flesh can also be used [sald dressings & purees are best] -- but it is truly the peel you will get the most use  of, so ensure they are as lovely as possible. Any type of lemon can be salt-preserved, but I enjoy Meyer Lemons best this way. Their unique flavor contributes even more complex notes to the ‘pickles’ & creates a truly divine flavor. Next, we focus on the salt used. Most recipes call for Sea Salt or Kosher Pickling Salt. Again, I like to buck tradition  

a bit & generally use Pink Himalayan Salt for mine, adding more unique notes as well as lovely health benefits. Lastly, it is important to be sure all of your fruit is completely submerged under lemon juice. Pickle stones are helpful for this. [seen in my pictures, they are simple, round glass weights] If fruit remains uncovered by the liquid, you run the chance of bacteria or mold occurring, which will ruin your batch. That is really all there is to it. One final note-- be sure to RINSE your lemon pieces as you use them!  Rather obvious in hind-sight, the sheer amount of salt used to preserve the fruit will overwhelm & mask the flavors you are creating if used directly from the bottle! I find these lemons ready to eat after 3 weeks, but they will continue to develop flavor the longer they are left to pickle & will last rather indefinitely if they remain submerged & your jar is tucked into the back of your refrigerator.

​For use with cheese & charcuterie, simply pull a section of two from your jar. Remove the lemon flesh [you can save this for use another way by tucking it back into your jar & submerging again] & rinse with cold water. Slice the pickled peel into thin strips or squares & marvel at how well it pairs for all the selections on your boards! Truly fantastic!

More than just paired with cheese, there are so many ways to enjoy the preserved lemons. Try adding them to compound butter [pure Heaven on a steak] or replacing the lemon used in some of your favorite savory recipes with them. For example, Preserved Lemon Chicken Piccata takes a favorite dish to a whole other level!  Also, check out this great article from Food52 for 5 dinner recipes to make with them: food52.com/blog/10589-1-jar-of-preserved-lemons-5-dinners.

Please let me know how yours come out & what you make with them-- I love to hear from you all! Wishing you all a lovely & safe Holiday Season!  Until next time, take care & don’t forget to #StopAndEatTheFlowers