Skip to main content

Paula Wolfert's Seven-Day Preserved Lemons

3.6

(8)

Preserved lemons, sold ready-made in Moroccan souks, are essential to that country's cuisine. The peel, pulp, and juice squeezed from the lemons can all be used. Sometimes, however, the juice and preserving brine can be bitter; use fresh lemon juice in that case.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    Makes 4 preserved lemons

Ingredients

4 large (about 6 ounces each) lemons (preferably thin-skinned), scrubbed
2/3 cup coarse salt
1 cup fresh lemon juice (from about 5 large lemons)
olive oil

Preparation

  1. Dry lemons well and cut each into 8 wedges. In a bowl toss wedges with salt and transfer to a glass jar (about 6-cup capacity). Add lemon juice and cover jar with a tight-fitting glass lid or plastic-coated lid. Let lemons stand at room temperature 7 days, shaking jar each day to redistribute salt and juice. Add oil to cover lemons and store, covered and chilled, up to 6 months.

Read More
Country-style lemonade with a salty-tangy twist.
Using two entire lemons—pith, skin, and all—cranks up the citrus flavor in this classic dessert.
Like hot honey chicken with peaches and a dirty martini spritz.
Turn humble onions into this thrifty yet luxe pasta dinner.
Filberts, goobers, scaly bark nuts: Explore the world beyond almonds in this guide.
Loosely inspired by pasta Amatriciana, a few pounds of zucchini stand in for tomatoes.
The best homemade hummus starts with an unexpected ingredient: ice cubes.
No grill needed for this just-charred-enough sweet and spicy chicken.