Easy Moroccan Preserved Lemons

My Easy Moroccan Preserved Lemons recipe is a gentle introduction to fermentation with none of the scary bits!

It’s a perfect recipe for those Australians and New Zealanders who have a lemon tree in their garden. And there’s no problem using the same technique for limes.

When you think your dish needs a squeeze of lemon, think twice and choose preserved lemons. They still deliver the citrus flavour but combined with the floral notes of the lemon peel and a good hit of umami that comes with the fermentation process.

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Prep Time 45

Course Condiment, Drinks, Marinade, Salad, Sauce

Cuisine Middle Eastern, Moroccan, North African

Servings 12

Equipment

1 litre preserving jar with lid

Ingredients

6 large lemons
3 large lemons (for juice)
3 bay leaves
2 tablespoons black peppercorns
500 g cooking salt

Instructions

Assemble ingredients.
Sterilise preserving jar, lid and sealing ring (if using) according to your preferred method (see notes).
Wash and dry lemons.
Start with 6 lemons. Using a sharp knife, cut a small slice off each end of the lemon. Stand each lemon up on end, cut through the lemon, stopping about 2 centimetres short of the other end. Make another cut so the lemon is (almost) cut into quarters. Repeat for each lemon.
Pack the gaps between the lemon sections with cooking salt and then add to the jar.
Pack the lemons as tight as possible. You may need to cut some lemons in half as you pack them into the jar.
As you pack in the lemons, use a wooden spoon or rolling pin to press out as much juice as possible.
Add a bay leaf and peppercorns, along with a generous amount of salt before packing in the next layer of lemons.
Leave a 1 centimetre gap at the top of the jar. Seal the jar tightly with its lid. At this stage the lemon juice will not fill the jar.
Put the sealed jar of lemons in the fridge for 5 days. Turn upside down and back upright once a day or so.
On day 5, squeeze the remaining 3 lemons and use the juice only to top up the jar 1 centimetre from the top. You may need more than 3 lemons. Tip the jar over a couple of times to make sure the existing brine thoroughly mixes with the new lemon juice.
Leave the jar in the fridge for 3-4 weeks, there is no need to keep turning the contents.
The preserved lemons are ready to use when the lemons are a deep yellow, the brine looks thick and slightly opaque and the lemon peel texture has transformed into a soft and slightly plump texture.

Just before you cook with abandon…

Sterilising preserving jar: Each sterilising method starts with washing the jar, lid, and any seal in hot soapy water and rinsing them well. Here are a few methods:

Steaming method. Steam the jars, lids and sealing ring (if using) at 100°C for 5 to 10 minutes. Carefully remove the jar and let it cool right side up on a clean tea towel.
Boiling water method. Use boiling water from a kettle and fill the jar, leaving it to cool on the bench. Put the lid and any silicone/rubber seal in a heat proof container and pour boiling water over them, again leaving them to cool in the water.
Oven method. Preheat the oven to 135°C and place the clean jar and lid on a baking tray. Heat in the oven for 20 minutes, turn off the oven and leave the jar and lid in the oven to cool. If you are using a rubber sealing ring, don’t put it in the oven. As above, put it in a bowl and pour boiling water over it and then leave it to cool in the water.

What size of lemons do you need? I used 6 large lemons to pack the jar in this recipe and 3 large lemons to make the added lemon juice that is added on day 5. Any size of lemon will work. In fact, it is easier to pack in smaller lemons. If the lemons are very small, just make one cut through the centre of the lemon not two. I recommend buying 50% more lemons then you need. I am sure in your kitchen, like mine, any extra lemons will not go to waste.

Cooking salt: Cooking salt is just a coarser version of table salt. Kosher salt is similar but is pricey in Australia. Please don’t be tempted to use expensive sea salt in this recipe, as it needs 500g of salt. And don’t buy the type of salt, usually called rock salt, that is meant for salt grinders.

Spices: I keep it simple in my easy Moroccan preserved lemons recipe and use bay leaves and black peppercorns for seasoning. These can be swapped out with other dried whole spices. Examples include white peppercorns, coriander seeds, mustard seeds, and cloves. I prefer not to add ground spices as they will change the colour of the brine.

Can I use the preserved lemon brine? The brine is very acidic and salty. But there are some uses for it if you use it sparingly. It can be the salty element in dressings, marinades, sauces and dips. It’s also been used in Martinis and Bloody Marys.

Keyword fermented lemons, lacto-fermentation, moroccan perserved lemons, salt preserved lemons