Preserved lemons are experiencing quite a moment in the food world, becoming much more commonly used in restaurants and home kitchens nowadays. But this ancient food has filled jars on pantry shelves across the Arab-Mediterranean region for thousands of years. Simply born out of the need to store and preserve lemons past their season, preserved lemons make for a versatile condiment that’s uses stretch far beyond the traditional cuisines from where they originate. Considering the season for meyer lemons is quite short compared to the common lemon, and we are up to our ears with them, making preserved meyer lemons is a small investment that will make for a big return come summer, when lemon season is but a memory.
Lemons, salt & patience are all it takes to make this simple, yet intriguing condiment. Similar to olives or capers, preserved lemons add a distinct touch of umami and alluring depth to your cooking. Making preserved lemons with just salt and lemons is the simplest way to approach this traditional food, but you can also add in spices like bay leaf, cinnamon, peppercorns, and cloves to further enhance the flavor profile of your preserved lemons.
While standard lemon varieties, like ‘eureka’, are most commonly used to make preserved lemons, meyer lemons make for a delicious preserved lemon by adding their unique fragrance and sweetness. We are incredibly fortunate to be literally surrounded by a sorts of citrus trees, with three meyer lemon trees on our block alone! We absolutely hate to see food go to waste, so in effort to make the best use of all of the bounty around us, we will be preserving a lot of lemons this season!
Meyer lemons simply get sliced into intact quarters, sprinkled liberally with salt, packed into sterile jars & then pressed until they are submerged in their now salty juice. Sealed and left to cure in a cool place – a month of patience (or more) reveals a lemon with a soft, velvety peel and a deep, yet mellow lemony character.
Preserved meyer lemons can be used in many of the ways you would use fresh lemons. Take one from the jar, rinse it off, and add it to an aioli or dressing. Use them in pasta, roasted chicken, or even hummus – the possibilities are really endless. So do yourself a favor and make some preserved meyer lemons so you can join us in making the most of citrus season.
PRESERVED MEYER LEMONS
Total Time: 0 hours
Ingredients
- meyer lemons
- kosher salt
Instructions
- To begin, make sure your lemons are clean (we simply give them a light scrubbing under cool water)
- Slice the ends off the lemons (about a 1/4-inch) just enough to remove the nubs (you shouldn’t see the flesh, just the pith)
- Stand the lemon on one end & split lengthwise into quarters, keeping quarters connected at base (stopping when you have about 1/2-inch left)
- Sprinkle salt all over the inside of the lemon, covering all of the flesh with salt
- Place the lemon cut side down into a sterilized jar, and gently press it to flatten and release its juices.
- Sprinkle another teaspoon of salt over the top along with a pinch of your desired spices (if using)
- Repeat with remaining lemons until the jar is filled & there is about 1″ of headspace left – at this point the lemons should be mostly submerged in their own juices, if not, seal the jar & the lemons will continue to release a lot of liquid over the next 24 hours (press the lemons to fully submerge before putting away to cure)
- Seal the jars & let them cure in a cool place for at least 1 month, shaking periodically to evenly distribute the salt.
- After a month you can begin using the preserved lemons – Preserved lemons will keep in the refrigerator for up to 6 months
- To use, discard the flesh, lightly rinse the peel, dice/slice and enjoy in your favorite recipes!
- Prep Time: 0 hours
- Cook Time: 0 hours
Why have I not made these before?! Do you ever do a really big batch so that they last longer? that’s what I do with kimchi.
I like to make several jars when I do it because it is so easy & that way we have them for a long time (they keep for 6 months in the fridge after you open them)
Hey! How long does the preservation last before opening? Is there a specific time frame they need to be used by?
Hi Lianna! They should keep for about a year, as long as the lemons are fully submerged in the brine. I like to keep them in the fridge once we have opened them.
Such stunning pics and I am loving the idea of preserving lemons as we near the end of citrus season. Looking forward to what you create with the preserves.
Thank you so much Jenny! It is such a resourceful thing to do & they are so delicious!
The most beautiful and inspiring images; thank you for sharing this recipe.
I have a jar I’d like to use; having never canned or preserved anything before, I am wondering if I need to boil it to sterilize, (is that correct term?) or is hand washing & rinsing w/uber hot water sufficient? I can also run through the dishwasher which has a sterilization feature.
I am SO looking forward to trying this; thank you again!
Hi Chandra! Thank you so much! I would just run it through the dishwasher to sterilize it, that should be just fine!
Hi bella,
I have everything lined up to make the preserved lemons; pulled the recipe up & I was thrilled to see your reply, thank you SO much! Very excited to try this today.
YAY! You are so welcome! You are going to love them!
Hi Bella,
I have a beautiful jar of preserved lemons, woo-hoo! I have a question though.
When I opened the jar to use for an en papillote recipe, they had an odor of ferment or
perhaps smelling ‘off’. I am thinking I didn’t get something right while following the recipe or are left on counter too long? Are they supposed to have a fermented odor? That odor carries to the test as well, similar to any fruit that has turned and started to ferment. I am willing to try again but if this is how they are supposed to be, I’ll just keep this jar. If not, I’ll also keep them and use for cleaning copper ? TIA for your help and gorgeous recipe/images!
The preserved lemons should definitely have a bit of a fermented aroma, as they are an aged product, but if your instinct makes you feel as though they are spoiled, then I would say something may have went wrong during the process. Try using more salt & even refrigerating them next time to ensure they do not get too warm while they are curing. I hope that helps! And feel free to reach out if you have any other questions!
I’m finally ready to preserve the heck out my lemons. We’ve decided to move and although I’m extremely excited about new place, alas, there will be no more lemon trees in my backyard. So i’m planning to take with me as much of lemon goodness as I can from the current place.
Yay! That is so awesome! It sounds like the move is worth losing the lemon trees! And at least you will have lots & lots of preserved ones! Can you plant new lemon trees where you are moving?
Thanks ever so much for the response Bella! Will know next time anout aroma.
;)
Bella! Such an incredibly smart process, thanks for sharing. And photography so stunning❤️ Dee xx
Awww…thank you so much Dee!
Thank you for your receit!
I wanna do some of these for Christmas, so I’m just in time. But I don’t wanna do something wrong and my english isn’t the best. So did I get it right, that I don’t need to fill the jar with water or vinegar or something? Ut’s not pickeld, right? Just salt and the juice of the Lemons?
Thank you!!
Rakhel
Yes! You understood it right, the lemons will give off a lot of liquid as you press them into the jars, and even more liquid after they begin to ferment! Good luck!
This is the first time making Preserved Meyer Lemons and I have a question. Does “seal the jar” mean processing the jar and it’s contents in a hot water bath or simply putting the lid on tightly?
Thank you Bella. I enjoy your stories and pictures immensely.
Glo E
Simply putting the lid on tightly! No need to process in a hot water bath! Thank you so much! <3