Quick ‘Preserved’ Lemons
- Total Time
- 3 hours
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
Advertisement
Ingredients
- 4lemons, unwaxed (or scrubbed of wax)
- 1tablespoon kosher salt
- 2tablespoons sugar
Nutritional analysis per serving (2 servings)
82 calories; 0 grams fat; 0 grams saturated fat; 0 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 23 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 15 grams sugars; 1 gram protein; 299 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered by
Preparation
- Step 1
Dice lemons, including peel, removing as many seeds as possible. Put the lemons and their juice in a bowl and sprinkle with the salt and sugar; toss well and transfer to a jar. Let the mixture sit for at least 3 hours at room temperature, shaking the jar periodically. It can be served at that point or refrigerated for up to a week.
Private Notes
Comments
If you cut lemons in quarters or eighths, it easy to remove seeds. Then squeeze our juice into bowl. That makes dicing easy since juice isn't running all over the place. Also the dice is much finer.
While I like most of Bittman's recipes, this one is to the real thing what water-added bulk ham is to prosciutto or Benton's. Combine diced lemons (any qty) with salt (5% B/W). Transfer to jar/s in stages, squeezing with spoon/fingers to release juice before adding more, so that a jar is packed to the brim (no air left). Close, age for at least 1 month at room temp. The lemons are fermented anaerobically by natural yeasts from the citrus skin: see Harold McGee's "On Food and Cooking".
So easy and very tasty.....I use this in the Morroccan Chickpea Stew. It also freezes very well.
Why can you only save it for a week? Other preserved lemon recipes say it can last indefinitely in the fridge.
Authentic preserved lemons contain way way more salt which acts as a preservative. This shortcut version might get moldy or oddly fermented after a week
With any preserved lemon recipe (I suggest you check out Julia Moskin’s adaptation of Paula Wolfert’s recipe for slow preserved lemons) it is important to rinse the lemons before use. And then to remove the flesh and pith from the rind before you dice it as a flavoring. Slow preserved lemons are more mellow, but it is useful to have this quick version if you need to make a tangine next Tuesday! It won’t be the same as slow preserved, but it’s closer than fresh lemons.
." . .and transfer to a jar. Let the mixture sit for at least 3 hours at room temperature, shaking the jar periodically." Do you put a lid on said jar? or cover it with a cloth?