Moroccan preserved lemons, also known as "l'hamd l'hamdu l'm'allem," are a staple ingredient in Moroccan cuisine that adds a unique tangy and salty flavor to various dishes. Preserving lemons is an ancient technique used to prolong the shelf life of lemons, dating back to the days before refrigeration. Unlike regular lemons that are picked when ripe, preserved lemons are picked while still green and small, capturing their vibrant color and tartness. Discover the art of creating your own preserved lemons with this comprehensive guide, which explores different methods, variations, and the history of this culinary delight. Transform your pantry and elevate your cooking journey with this flavorful and versatile ingredient.
Check out the recipes below so you can choose the best recipe for yourself!
MOROCCAN PRESERVED LEMONS
Lemons pickled in salt and lemon juice will keep for up to a year. Dice or julienne the rind, and add to salads, pastas, and condiments.
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Healthy Recipes Gluten-Free Recipes
Yield Makes 2 quarts
Number Of Ingredients 6
Steps:
- Thoroughly wash and dry lemons. Cut each lemon lengthwise into quarters, but only two-thirds of the way through, so one end remains intact. Rub the insides with 1 to 2 teaspoons salt. In 2 one-quart jars or 1 two-quart jar, layer lemons, remaining salt, cinnamon sticks, peppercorns, and bay leaves. Pack the lemons as tightly as possible. Pour the lemon juice over the lemons until they are submerged.
- Close jar or jars tightly. Place in a warm spot to ripen for at least 1 week before using. Gently shake the jars daily to redistribute salt. Store in the refrigerator. To use preserved lemons, remove amount needed from jar, remove flesh, and discard; rinse rind under cold water to remove excess salt.
MOROCCAN PRESERVED LEMONS
The lemons have to be cured for at least 1 month but then they will keep for many months in the fridge, where their flavor intensifies over time. They are preserved whole but only the peel is used in cooking, the flesh is discarded. If possible, use organic lemons.
Provided by gartenfee
Categories Side Dish Sauces and Condiments Recipes Canning and Preserving Recipes Pickled
Time P19DT17h12m
Yield 6
Number Of Ingredients 3
Steps:
- Scrub lemons thoroughly under cold running water. Cut each lemon into quarters, but do not cut all the way through the top, so that the lemon still holds together.
- Rub lemons generously with salt inside and out and along all the cuts. Place them in a large sterilized jar with a tight-fitting lid. Add lukewarm water to cover; the lemons should be fully immersed. Screw on the lid and let cure for 1 month in a dark, dry, and cool place.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 22.4 calories, Carbohydrate 12 g, Fat 0.3 g, Fiber 5.3 g, Protein 1.3 g, Sodium 3800 mg
MOROCCAN LAMB STEW WITH PRESERVED LEMONS
This is one of the easiest stews imaginable, because there is no browning of the meat, yet the flavor is very intense. Serve with apricot couscous and a fennel, mint, and radish salad. Preserved lemons must be made several weeks in advance, but they are simple to prepare and add exquisite flavor.
Provided by Food Network
Time 2h46m
Yield 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 17
Steps:
- Trim excess fat and gristle from meat and cut lamb into 1-inch cubes. Place meat in a large bowl. In a small bowl, mix the cumin, ginger, cinnamon, and saffron; sprinkle over the meat and set aside.
- On a cutting board, mince together the orange zest, cilantro leaves, garlic, and salt until you have a paste. Add to the meat along with the orange juice and stir well to coat. Cover the bowl and let stand at room temperature for 2 hours, or up to overnight in the refrigerator.
- Transfer the mixture to a heavy pot, add the onions, tomatoes, and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat, and simmer (or bake in a preheated 350 degree oven) until the meat is very tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Add olives and, if using, preserved lemon to the pot. Cook about 10 minutes more, then serve.
- Wash a 1-pint glass-canning jar and its lid with hot soapy water; rinse and dry thoroughly.
- Cut 6 of the lemons, 1 at a time, into quarters through 1 end without cutting all the way through the other end. You want the lemon to open out like a flower, but not to separate. Place the lemon on a large piece of parchment or waxed paper, spread quarters open and sprinkle flesh with a heaping tablespoon of kosher salt; put the lemon into the jar. Continue with remaining lemons, sprinkling salt on each. Pack the lemons in the jar tightly, filling it to the top (you may need more or less than 6 lemons, depending on their size). When you reach the top, lift the parchment and pour the excess salt from it into the jar of lemons.
- Slide the bay leaves down opposite sides of the jar. Juice the remaining lemons 1 by 1, adding juice to the jar, until it reaches the top. Seal jar, shake well, and let stand at room temperature, shaking well every 12 hours, for 1 week. After 1 week, transfer jar to the refrigerator, continuing to shake every day. Lemons are preserved after 3 weeks and keep up to several months in the refrigerator.
- To use lemons, pull out as needed and scrape away pulp. Dice peel and use as a condiment.
MOROCCAN CHICKEN WITH PRESERVED LEMONS
Provided by Food Network
Yield 4 Servings
Number Of Ingredients 15
Steps:
- Remove excess fat from chicken, rinse well inside and out and pat dry. Rub chickens with lemon inside and out and under skin of breasts. Rub with sea salt and set aside to marinate in a nonreactive baking dish, covered and refrigerated, overnight. Next day, rinse chickens again and pat dry.
- In a flameproof casserole large enough to hold both chickens combine cilantro, parsley, garlic, ginger, saffron, preserved lemon and pepper to taste. Add 1/4 cup water and chickens, turning to coat thoroughly, and rubbing some of the mixture inside. Add reserved giblets, except livers. Pour oil over and bring to a simmer over low heat. When chicken begins to sizzle, add onions, cover and cook for 30 minutes. Add livers and paprika and continue to cook, covered, 1 hour more.
- Remove chickens to a carving board and let rest, covered loosely with foil, while you finish the sauce. Cut giblets into small pieces and return to sauce. Using a fork, crush livers into sauce to thicken. Sauce should be thick -- if it is thin, boil until reduced and thickened. Add butter and olives. Heat, swirling pan, until sauce is emulsified. To serve, cut chickens into quarters and arrange on a warmed platter. Spoon sauce over and garnish with lemon peel.
MOROCCAN SPICED PRESERVED LEMONS
Preserved lemons add an unique flavor to many Moroccan & North African dishes. They are easy to make & they store for a long period of time.
Provided by FDADELKARIM
Categories Lemon
Time P30D
Yield 8 preserved lemons
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Pour the lemon juice in a large glass jar then add the spices & 1 tablespoon of sea salt.
- Slice the lemon 5 times, from top to bottom, leaving 1/2 inch at both ends. Squeeze open each slit & add a generous amount of sea salt into each opening. Gently reshape the fruit when you are done. Repeat for each lemon.
- Pack the lemons into the jar, pressing them down to release their juices & to make room for the remaining lemons. Add any remaining salt to the jar. Cover the lemons the rest of the way with water then seal with a lid, leaving some air space at the top.
- Let ripen for at least 30 days in a warm place. Shake the jar a couple times a week to distribute the salt & spices.
- Preserved lemons do not need to be refrigerated & will keep up to a year. The pickling juice may be used 2 or 3 times over a year's time, simply add any unused rinds to the jar after sprinkling with salt.
- To use: Rinse with running water then remove & disregard the pulp (optional, my husband likes the pulp).
MOURAD LAHLOU'S PRESERVED LEMONS
Preserved lemons -- pickled in a brine of lemon juice and salt -- are important ingredients in Moroccan cuisine. Use them in chef Mourad Lahlou's Chicken Legs recipe from "Mourad: New Moroccan."
Provided by Martha Stewart
Yield Makes 4 cups
Number Of Ingredients 3
Steps:
- Place salt in a large bowl; set aside. Stand lemon on its stem end on a cutting board; cut down the center as though you were going to cut in half, but stop about 1/2 inch above the stem. Make a perpendicular cut, stopping about 1/2 inch above the stem, so the lemon is quartered but still in tact.
- Holding lemon over bowl of salt, spread four quarters open and pack as much salt as you can, allowing excess to fall back into bowl. You should be able to pack about 2 tablespoons into lemon. Place lemon, cut side up, in a 1-quart sterile, dry glass jar, preferably with a neck that is narrower than the jar, with a lid or a clamp closure. Repeat process with as many lemons as the jar will hold (you may have to add some the next day when lemons are softer). Cover and let stand overnight.
- Push lemons down with a clean spoon, add remaining lemons, if necessary, keeping in mind you may only be able to add another half or quarter. Add enough lemon juice to jar to completely submerge lemons. Cover with lid until just finger-tight or clamp closed. Place jar in a dark spot, but not the refrigerator.
- Everyday, for the next week, turn and shake jar once a day to redistribute salt. Add more lemon juice if lemons are no longer submerged. Let lemons stand for 1 month before using.
MOROCCAN-STYLE PRESERVED LEMONS
Steps:
- Blanch lemons in boiling water 5 minutes, then drain. When cool enough to handle, cut each lemon into 8 wedges, discarding seeds. Toss lemons with kosher salt in a bowl, then pack lemons, along with their salt, tightly into jar.
- Add enough lemon juice to cover lemons. Seal jar and let lemons stand at room temperature, shaking gently once a day, for 5 days.
- Add oil to jar and refrigerate.
MOROCCAN-STYLE PRESERVED LEMONS
Steps:
- Blanch 6 lemons in boiling water 5 minutes, then drain. Cut each lemon into 8 wedges and discard seeds. Toss with kosher salt in a bowl, then firmly pack with salt into jar.
- Squeeze enough juice from remaining lemons to measure 1 cup. Add enough juice to cover lemons and screw on lid. Let stand at room temperature, shaking jar gently once a day, 5 days. Add oil to lemons and chill, covered.
MORROCAN PRESERVED LEMONS
Preserved lemons, sold loose in the souks, are one of the indispensable ingredients of Moroccan cooking, used in fragrant lamb and vegetable tagines, recipes for chicken with lemons and olives , and salads. Their unique pickled taste and special silken texture cannot be duplicated with fresh lemon or lime juice, despite what some food writers have said. In Morocco they are made with a mixture of fragrant-skinned doqq and tart boussera lemons, but I have had excellent luck with American lemons from Florida and California. Moroccan Jews have a slightly different procedure for pickling, which involves the use of olive oil, but this recipe, which includes optional herbs (in the manner of Safi), will produce a true Moroccan preserved-lemon taste. The important thing in preserving lemons is to be certain they are completely covered with salted lemon juice. With my recipe you can use the lemon juice over and over again. (As a matter of fact, I keep a jar of used pickling juice in the kitchen, and when I make Bloody Marys or salad dressings and have half a lemon left over, I toss it into the jar and let it marinate with the rest.) Use wooden utensils to remove the lemons as needed. Sometimes you will see a sort of lacy, white substance clinging to preserved lemons in their jar; it is perfectly harmless, but should be rinsed off for aesthetic reasons just before the lemons are used. Preserved lemons are rinsed, in any case, to rid them of their salty taste. Cook with both pulps and rinds, if desired. The recipe and introductory text below are excerpted from Paula Wolfert's book Couscous and Other Good Food From Morocco.
Provided by Sharon123
Categories Lemon
Time 15m
Yield 1 1/2 cups, 6 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- If you wish to soften the peel, soak the lemons in lukewarm water for 3 days, changing the water daily.
- Quarter the lemons from the top to within 1/2 inch of the bottom, sprinkle salt on the exposed flesh, then reshape the fruit.
- Place 1 tablespoon salt on the bottom of the mason jar. Pack in the lemons and push them down, adding more salt, and the optional spices between layers. Press the lemons down to release their juices and to make room for the remaining lemons. (If the juice released from the squashed fruit does not cover them, add freshly squeezed lemon juice - not chemically produced lemon juice and not water.*) Leave some air space before sealing the jar.
- Let the lemons ripen in a warm place, shaking the jar each day to distribute the salt and juice. Let ripen for 30 days. To use, rinse the lemons, as needed, under running water, removing and discarding the pulp, if desired - and there is no need to refrigerate after opening. Preserved lemons will keep up to a year, and the pickling juice can be used two or three times over the course of a year.
- * According to the late Michael Field, the best way to extract the maximum amount of juice from a lemon is to boil it in water for 2 or 3 minutes and allow it to cool before squeezing.
- Paula Wolfert shares her tips:.
- •Located on Morocco's Atlantic coast, south of Casablanca and north of Essaouira, the city of Safi is known for its seafood specialties.
- •To most closely approximate the flavor of Moroccan lemons, Wolfert recommends Meyer lemons for this recipe. This lemon/mandarin orange hybrid, in season in January and February, has yellow-orange flesh, a smooth rind, and a sweeter flavor than other lemons.
- •To sterilize a mason jar for the lemons, place it upside down in a steamer and steam for 10 minutes. Using tongs (wrap the ends in rubber bands for a better grip), remove the hot jar and dry it upside down on a paper towel-lined baking sheet in a warm oven. To sterilize the jar's top, boil it in water for 5 minutes, then remove with tongs.
- •When you're ready to use a lemon, remove it with clean utensils to avoid contaminating the inside of the jar with bacteria. This way, the remaining contents of the jar will not need to be refrigerated.
Tips:
- Choose the right lemons: Use Meyer lemons or Eureka lemons for the best flavor.
- Use organic lemons: Avoid lemons treated with pesticides or fungicides.
- Wash the lemons thoroughly: Scrub the lemons with a brush to remove any dirt or debris.
- Score the lemons deeply: The deeper the score marks, the better the lemons will absorb the curing mixture.
- Use a clean glass jar: Make sure the jar is sterilized before using it.
- Pack the lemons tightly in the jar: This will help to prevent mold growth.
- Add the curing mixture: The curing mixture should cover the lemons completely.
- Seal the jar tightly: Make sure the lid is on tight to prevent air from getting in.
- Store the lemons in a cool, dark place: The lemons will need to cure for at least 4 weeks before they are ready to use.
- Use the preserved lemons in a variety of dishes: Preserved lemons can be used in tagines, stews, salads, and more.
Conclusion:
Preserved lemons are a delicious and versatile ingredient that can be used in a variety of dishes. They are a great way to add a burst of flavor and complexity to your cooking. With a little planning and effort, you can easily make your own preserved lemons at home. So what are you waiting for? Give it a try!
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