15 Preserved Lemon Recipes That Will Make Your Tastebuds Tingle (2024)

FAQs

What does 2 year old preserved lemon taste like? ›

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.

Pop them whole into stews; add thin-sliced slivers into drinks; or mince them up for earthier pasta sauces. Before use, rinse to tame the saltiness and be sure to discard the seeds; because of the fermentation process, the rind and pith are fine to consume and will taste the same as the flesh.

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.

Preserved lemons have a tangy, umami, not-quite-sweet, fruity bite that satisfies two essential elements of cooking at once: salt and acid. Both the preserved lemon peel and flesh are edible.

While lemons are an excellent source of vitamin C, the acidity of the citrus might be hard on your baby's stomach. You should wait to introduce lemons until after your baby turns one year old so their digestive system is more mature. This will also reduce the likelihood of an allergic reaction.

Preserved lemons have two main components: the pulp and the peel. If you want to improvise with preserved lemon, remember that the pulp and peel should be used separately. The soft pulp can be mashed and stirred into soups, stews, dressings and sauces.

The peel is perfectly edible—in fact, it's the prized part of the fruit, with many discarding the flesh even though it's not strictly necessary. They're pretty potent, so cookbook author and former BA staffer Zaynab Issa recommends adding no more than half of a preserved lemon to a soup or braise if you're unfamiliar.

Preserved lemons add a big punch of flavor, instant umami, and complexity to any dish. Rinse the salt off before using preserved lemon in place of fresh in recipes.

If there is too much room in the jar, the uppermost lemons will not be covered in juices and can develop mold. If lemons are not covered in their juices, squeeze some fresh lemon juice on top to cover. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of kosher salt (1 tablespoon is fine if using a small or medium jar).

Unlike other fermented foods like kimchi or other pickles, preserved lemons aren't meant to be eaten alone. Instead they are used to season dishes, where they deliver a layered dose of salt, acid, and umami.

How do you tell if my preserved lemons are bad? ›

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.

Chefs and home cooks alike praise Meyer lemons for their thin, fragrant skin and sweet flesh.

The sweet, distinctively clean, and zesty aromatic flavour of Amalfi lemons that are grown along the rugged coast of the Campania area of Italy has made them famous all over the world.

The preserving liquid has solidified. Flesh easy to dislodge from rind. The product is salty but not aggressive, with hints of fermented lemon rind, but overall a good rounded lemon flavour. No bitterness.

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.

Can preserved lemons go bad? They can, especially if they are not fully submerged in the brine or if the jar is not sealed correctly. Signs of spoilage include an off odor, mold growth, or a mushy texture.

Preserved lemons add a big punch of flavor, instant umami, and complexity to any dish. Rinse the salt off before using preserved lemon in place of fresh in recipes. The cured lemons will last up to a year in the back of the fridge.

Jars of preserved lemons can keep for months in the refrigerator and may develop a deeper pickled flavor and softer texture over time. “Shake the jar now and then to keep the lemons moist; otherwise, the salt may rise to the top and form a crust,” says Sahadi Whelan.