Preserved Lemons take about 20 minutes of hands-on time before being placed in the refrigerator to pickle for a month. I cannot wait until these are ready to start creating recipes.
My blogging friends and I get together every other Wednesday to share recipes that start or feature ingredients as we work our way through the alphabet. Let's take a look at the other L recipes being shared today........
- Karen’s Kitchen Stories: Lychee Martini
- A Messy Kitchen: Lemongrass Chicken and Asparagus
- Food Lust People Love: Lobster Butter
- Culinary Cam: Enamored with Culinary Lavender
- Jolene’s Recipe Journal: Lemon Pudding Cookies
- Magical Ingredients: Lentil Lasagna Dip
- Mayuri’s Jikoni: Lobia Paneer Salad
- A Day in the Life on the Farm: Preserved Lemons
- Sneha’s Recipe: Besan Almond Ladoo
- Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice: Chickpea Salad with Lemony Swiss Chard Pesto
- Palatable Pastime: Tahdig Lubia Polo
To preserve the lemons, you start off by cutting off the ends and quartering them nearly through still leaving them intact. Then you toss and stuff them with a salt/sugar mixture and refrigerate them overnight.
The next day, stuff the lemons into a sterilized mason jar along with any juice and liquid released overnight. Add bay leaves and pepper corns, then enough fresh lemon juice so that all ingredients are submerged.
Once you seal the jar and place it in the refrigerator, it takes a few weeks before they will be ready to use. Mine needs about one more week before I can start making recipes to share. Stay tuned.
Last year I celebrated the Letter L with my granddaughter's Lemonade recipe.
Past 2025 Alphabet Challenge Recipes
B is for White Bean and Basil Salad
C is for Cider Glazed Chicken Wings
D is for Chicken and Dates
E is for Escargots Bourguignonne
F is for Roasted Vegetable Farro Bowl
G is for Garlic Honey Chicken Thighs
H is for Asian Beef Bowls
I is for Italian Ice
J is for Jamaican Jerk Chicken
K is for Kwasnica
Yield: 8 lemons

Preserved Lemons
Preserved Lemons take about 20 minutes of hands-on time before being placed in the refrigerator to pickle for a month. I cannot wait until these are ready to start creating recipes.
Prep time: 20 MinInactive time: 24 HourTotal time: 24 H & 20 M
Ingredients
- 8 lemons
- 1/2 c. kosher salt
- 2 T. sugar
- 2 T. peppercorns
- 3-4 bay leaves
- Fresh Lemon juice, as needed (about 8 lemons)
Instructions
- Trim about 1/4" off the tops and bottoms of the lemons, then cut them in quarters about 2/3 down, leaving them connected at the bottom.
- Place the cut lemons into a large bowl and sprinkle with the salt and sugar. Toss the lemons to coat. Pry open the lemons and stuff them with the salt, sugar mixture. Cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight.
- Transfer the lemons into a sterilized quart-size canning jar, pushing them down firmly. Add the liquid that has gathered in the bowl to the jar, along with the peppercorns and bay leaves.
- Juice lemons into the canning jar until the lemons are completely covered.
- Seal the jar and refrigerate for 3-4 weeks before consuming.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
50Fat (grams)
0 gSat. Fat (grams)
0 gCarbs (grams)
15 gFiber (grams)
4 gNet carbs
11 gSugar (grams)
6 gProtein (grams)
1 gSodium (milligrams)
7076 mgCholesterol (grams)
0 mgProperty of A Day in the Life on the Farm
I had some I had done quite a while ago so I rinsed the salt off and pureed them - made a paste that I can add to baked goods. I put the majority in one cup containers and into the freezer for future use.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tip.
DeletePreserved lemons have been on my list to make for a long time. No more procrastination!
ReplyDeleteI hope they turn out well.
DeleteI need to make these to do some tagine. Probably September, after the summer pickle rush slows down in my fridge and I start craving Moroccan. Looking forward to this!
ReplyDeleteI have a few recipes besides Moroccan that I am looking forward to making.
DeleteWho knew preserved lemons were that easy? Possibly everybody but me. 🤣 I will be making these, Wendy!
ReplyDeleteReally easy, I'm anxious to see how they turn out.
DeleteWill be eagerly awaiting recipes! I have only ever used a little preserved lemon in some of the meal prep box recipes we have tried and would definitely like to use it more.
ReplyDeleteI have a few in mind. Stay tuned.
DeleteWe usually preserve lemon with salt and chili powder. These lemons with salt, sweet, and spice sound wonderful. I have a few lemons sitting on the counter and this is the one that I am going to make.
ReplyDeleteChili powder would be a great flavor for the lemons.
DeleteAlright, now you have my all excited to see what you make with these lil' guys!!!
ReplyDeleteStay tuned....
DeleteNever had preserved lemon before, can't wait to see what you're making with it!
ReplyDeleteI've got a few recipes printed out to try. I'm anxious to see how they turn out.
DeleteI definitely need to harvest some lemons off my mom's tree soon!
ReplyDeleteI thought of you when I was making these.
DeleteThis is my favorite, we call this Paniwala Nimbu Achar!
ReplyDeleteThanks for letting me know. What do you make with it?
DeleteThis is just too easy and I am kicking myself for not making them sooner.
ReplyDeleteNow to see how they turn out. I'm making my first dish today.
Delete