How to use preserved lemons in cooking and baking (recipe round-up) - Simple Bites (2024)

FAQs

How do you cook with preserved lemons? ›

In Morocco, preserved lemon is commonly used to brighten rich braises or stews, like the classic Moroccan chicken tagine; the briny lemon sharpens the flavors of spices like coriander, ground peppercorns, bay leaves, and cinnamon sticks.

Since preserved lemons are brined in salt, giving them a quick rinse before using them is a sound way to remove any excess saltiness. The rinsed lemons will still be quite salty; you aren't losing out on any of their flavor by rinsing them.

Transfer entire contents of bowl to a sterilized canning jar, pressing lemons down firmly until they are completely submerged in liquid. Seal jars and store in refrigerator for at least 2 weeks and up to 6 months.

Tell-tale signs that your preserved lemons have spoiled includes a foul smell that's different from their usual fermented, citrusy aroma, a slimy or excessively soft texture, or the presence of mold. In these cases, it's safer to discard the preserved lemons.

Both the flesh and rind of preserved lemons are edible. Preserved lemons that are cut before they're preserved will absorb more salt than those that are packed whole. Some recipes call for discarding the super-salty flesh and using only the rind or for rinsing the preserved lemon before cooking with it.

Put preserved lemons in a salad

Instead of adding preserved lemon to dressings, try adding it to more robust dishes such as lentil salads to brighten up pulses. It's really lovely with puy lentils and kale. Top with plenty of goat's curd, labneh or yogurt for a healthy but filling meal.

Preserved lemons, when puréed into paste and incorporated into the simple batter, bring a powerful citrus flavor and subtle brininess that zest and juice alone could never achieve. Olive oil reinforces the fruity savoriness and works with the sour cream to keep this loaf plush and moist for days.

To use, remove a piece of lemon and rinse it. (Add more fresh lemons to the brine as you use them up.) The minced rind is added at the very end of cooking or used raw; the pulp can be added to a simmering pot.

Properly stored in the fridge, salt-preserved lemons can keep for a good 6 months. It is important to use a good canning jar with a tightly closed lid, and make sure the lemons are well submerged in the lemon juice. Some sources say they will last a good year, that may be, but I like to play it safe.

Let ripen for 30 days. To use, rinse the lemons, as needed, under running water, removing and discarding the pulp, if desired — and there is no need to refrigerate after opening. Preserved lemons will keep up to a year, and the pickling juice can be used two or three times over the course of a year.

Are preserved lemons good for you? ›

Preserved lemons are fermented, which makes them a rich source of vitamin C and a healthy dose of probiotic bacteria. The fermentation process increases the already high level of vitamins. A diet rich in vitamin C is fantastic for building and sustaining the immune system.

But the flavor of a preserved lemon needs no justification. It's mellow yet intensely lemony, with none of the nose-tickling bright, high notes of the fresh lemon. The peel — which is the part you use, usually — is soft to the touch and satiny in the mouth.

Complex, bright and bursting with umami flavor from natural fermentation, preserved lemons have a more intense, concentrated taste than raw lemons. Brining raw lemons, which typically lasts between a couple weeks and a month, also softens their peel and pith and mellows their bitter and tart flavors.

These will turn mushy or worse—moldy—if you don't submerge them completely in liquid. If you do encounter white mold on the surface of the liquid as these ferment, just scrape it off. The lemons will be fine.

Again, it's best to err on the side of caution when it comes to quantity, but for the most part, anything you might use a fresh lemon for, you can add a preserved lemon instead for extra depth and flavour.

Kitchen Window — Preserved Lemons: Older, Wiser And Full Of Flavor Salted and aged, the fruit develops mellow yet intensely lemony flavor, with none of the nose-tickling bright, high notes of the fresh version.

According to various cookbooks,the shelf life ranges from 6 months to one year to indefinitely. The lemons were preserved with a couple of bay leaves,coriander seeds and black peppercorns. Oh and lots of salt!