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Making Preserved Lemons

stickman

stickman

I love Moroccan food and I go through a fair amount of preserved Lemons in the course of a year. From what I've read, Meyer Lemons are a pretty close match to the sweet Lemons grown in Morocco, and they're in season now. I came across some in the market today and decided to make them myself...

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There are half a dozen lemons in each package. I quartered eight of them almost all the way through after cutting off the stem end of the lemons. I left a half an inch at the bottom uncut to hold the qauarters together.
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Holding the quartered lemons over a non-reactive bowl, I squeezed most of the juice out of each quarter and caught the juice in the bowl, flicked out the seeds and sprinkled the flesh inside of each lemon with a quarter tbsp of kosher salt, then packed them into a quart jar with a tight-fitting lid. The eight quartered and salted lemons pretty much filled the quart jar. I squeezed the other 4 lemons into the bowl and stirred in a quarter cup of kosher salt until the salt dissolved. I strained out the seeds as I filled the jar with the salty lemon juice, and tightly fitted the cap on the jar.

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From here, you just keep the jar in a dark room-temperature place, and shake it up whenever you think of it to redistribute the salt and lemon juice for 30 days. The lemons will ferment and soften. Refrigerate, and the preserved lemons will keep for up to 2 years, gradually soaking up the salty lemon juice and getting softer as time goes by.
 
muskymojo said:
Cool. I don't know much about Moroccan food. How do you use them?
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Hi MuskyM
They use them in lots of things... Chicken with preserved lemon and olives is a classic... http://moroccanfood.about.com/od/moroccanchickenrecipes/r/tag_chick_lemon.htm just substitute olive oil for the preserved butter.

It's used in lots of marinades and side dishes like greens and eggplant, and it really brightens up the flavors! The other day I made Collard greens with a fatali x red savina pepper, preserved lemon, parsley, cilantro, garlic, onion and diced tomatoes.
 
hmm I might have to try this... In italy they make this stuff called mostarda where they preserve the fruits (lemons, oranges, cherries) in mustard seed and cayenne... its eaten with the sliced meats and cheeses... My personal lemon preserve favorite is this marmalade type preserve its just sweet enough to use on toast in the AM an goes great with a soft cheese like brie. I like the idea of this saltier version for more savory cooking. Let me know how it turns out!
 
Rawkstah said:
hmm I might have to try this... In italy they make this stuff called mostarda where they preserve the fruits (lemons, oranges, cherries) in mustard seed and cayenne... its eaten with the sliced meats and cheeses... My personal lemon preserve favorite is this marmalade type preserve its just sweet enough to use on toast in the AM an goes great with a soft cheese like brie. I like the idea of this saltier version for more savory cooking. Let me know how it turns out!
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How cool is that... I never heard of that before, though it sparks a dim memory. I grew up among Tuscans in the Pittsfield, MA area, and I think I had it before but never knew what it was called. Thanks for filling in the gap!
 
stickman said:
The other day I made Collard greens with a fatali x red savina pepper, preserved lemon, parsley, cilantro, garlic, onion and diced tomatoes.
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Fatali x Red Savina.......you could put that in just about anything! Those greens sound delicious! (and I'm not even a huge greens guy)
 
Chewi said:
Fatali x Red Savina.......you could put that in just about anything! Those greens sound delicious! (and I'm not even a huge greens guy)
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I've had people tell me they didn't think they'd ever eat Collards until they tried these! I got the recipe from a Moroccan woman named Bouchra who was staying with a neighbor while she was taking classes at a local university. Traditionally, it's made with Mallow leaves that grow wild there. Yes, it's the same kind of Mallow people grow in their flower gardens. You can also substitute Collards, Kale or Spinach for the Mallow.

Khoubiza... Moroccan Greens Salad with Preserved Lemons and Olives

1/2 pound of greens
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup chopped cilantro, parsley, or a mix of the two
4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 and 1/2 tsp paprika
1 and 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt, or more to taste
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, or more to taste
1-2 tbsp lemon juice
1 preserved lemon rind, quartered
pulp from the preserved lemon, finely chopped
a handful of red olives

Wash the greens well several times in a bowl of cold water. Drain thoroughly. Finely chop the leaves. Transfer to a steamer and steam over simmering water 15-20 minutes or until greens are tender. Squeeze out any excess liquid from the steamed leaves and transfer to a large skillet. Add remaining ingredients except olives and lemon rinds. Stir to mix and sautee over med. heat 5-10 minutes until parsley has wilted and flavors have blended. Adjust seasonings as desired. Serve warm, or at room temperature, garnishing with olives and preserved lemon rinds. Serve as a side dish for 3-4 people with flat bread to scoop it up.
 
I made these several years ago from a Morrocan cook book I have. I believe it was preserved lemons, capers, roasted red peppers and feta drizzled with olive oil. Spread it out on a plate and top crackers or pitas. Also great with artichokes. If you have never had them, they are absolutely worth a try.
 
Hadn't noticed this until now, thanks for posting. We make A LOT of tagine chicken, and this will save A FORTUNE (given the cost of these in the jar) ...

Thanks ;)
 
Preserved lemons are great on steamed broccoli - just dice up a good amount and toss them on when you're ready to serve it up. It's also tasty added to tartar sauce.
 
That`s a really nice recipe. I love salt-preserved lemons. We have a Meyer lemon tree, so I used do this a few time a year. Well, I did until our neighbour`s 50 foot Eucalyptus fell on the poor lemon tree 3 or 4 years ago. The lemon tree is coming back, but yields are not great yet. Still, I have enough to do some of these preserved lemons. :P
 
Nigel said:
That`s a really nice recipe. I love salt-preserved lemons. We have a Meyer lemon tree, so I used do this a few time a year. Well, I did until our neighbour`s 50 foot Eucalyptus fell on the poor lemon tree 3 or 4 years ago. The lemon tree is coming back, but yields are not great yet. Still, I have enough to do some of these preserved lemons. :P
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Cool, Post pics of what you make with them when you do! :drooling:
 
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