Preserved lemons are a wonderful way to keep lemons and use them for savoury dishes. The process for making preserved lemons takes less than 10 minutes active prep time. All you have to do is wait for the fermentation process and 4-6 weeks later you will have glorious preserved lemons. If you have Meyer lemons they're fantastic to use in preserved lemons. Find out how easy it is to make this wonderful ingredient!
Preserved lemons originated in North Africa and are utilised a lot in Moroccan and other North African cuisines. Their use also stretches out across the Middle East and the Mediterranean. Unlike pickling using water, sugar, salt or vinegar, preserved lemons are pickled using their own lemon juice. Preserved lemons are not designed to be eaten whole or by themselves - they are used as a seasoning and flavouring ingredient. You use the skin and pith of the preserved lemons and usually discard the fleshy pulp. The handiest way to store them is as a paste where you blend up the preserved lemon rind and pith. The flavour profile of preserved lemons is salty and acidic/sour.
What Can I Use Preserved Lemons For?
The most common way to use them is in a tagine or a meat stew. Other options are in pastas, soup, salad dressing or cakes, Basically anywhere you would use a lemon but make sure to use it sparingly. My favourite way is with rich meats like slow cooked lamb shoulder or beef short rib. These are perfect for the preserved lemon's salty acidity. It's also great in a mignonette dressing for oysters!
Tips For Making Preserved Lemons
1 - I love using Meyer lemons as they are less sour than regular lemons and the skins are very florally fragrant. I used some home grown Meyer lemons so they were very, very juicy. I find supermarket lemons really stingy with juice so if you know anyone with a lemon tree, chances are they have an excess of lemons at the moment. Otherwise you can supplement with additional freshly squeezed juice.
2 - Use a fine salt for preserved lemons. I used sea salt flakes but you can also use pink salt or kosher salt if you're in the US. Do not use iodised salt as that can hamper the fermentation process.
3 - Make sure to wait 4-6 weeks for the fermentation process to take place. Once they are ready, you will only use the rind and skin, not the flesh which will be discarded.
4 - Store opened jars of preserved lemon in the fridge for up to 1 year. Some people say that preserved lemons before opening will last indefinitely!
What Other Flavours Can You Put In Your Preserved Lemons?
I always use bay leaves but you can also use whole peppercorns, cinnamon, garlic and cumin in preserved lemons.
I recently came back from a trip to South Africa. It was with a really big crew of influencers and film crew and there were 39 African people and me, the only non African. There were five African countries represented: Botswana, Kenya, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Tanzania plus a South African crew. I wondered if I would be shunted to the side like an albino penguin (that has happened a couple of times when I've travelled with Australian journalists).
I needn't have worried because everyone was so friendly and welcoming. Even though they all knew each other within their own country group, they took time to chat and it was so interesting to see what they were interested in. Every night I'd sit with someone different and one night I sat next to some Kenyan influencers who had learnt all about Australia through Buzzfeed Australia. They asked me about fairy bread and kangaroos but I was embarrassed that I didn't know much about Kenya apart from safari and that is where Masai people come from. I also realised I didn't know much about Africa apart from very superficial things. I've really started reading up more about Africa and its 54 countries so that I won't have an embarrassing knowledge gap!
So tell me Dear Reader, do you have any knowledge gaps that you want to fix? Do you use preserved lemons?
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