How To Make Quick Preserved Lemons

Preserved lemons are a key ingredient in many Moroccan dishes.  Jars packed full of briny, aged lemons are available in every market.

Fresh lemons are never a suitable substitute.  Nothing tastes like the real thing.  Whole lemons (sometimes partially sliced through) are doused in salt, covered in lemon juice and left to age in tightly sealed jars for at least a month.  In Marrakech, I purchased lemons aged one year and a darker version that has been aged for two years (to be used with meats and never with fish or poultry).  If you haven’t time to properly age the lemons and are unable to purchase them, below is a quick How To guide for making a substitute for preserved lemons that can be used immediately.  While not ideal, they are, at least, better than using fresh lemons.

Cut a large, washed lemon into eighths and place in a pan with 1 tablespoon salt. Cover with 3/4 cup of water.

Bring to a rapid boil.

Cover and cook for about 30 minutes until the skins are very soft.

Remove from the pan.

These are very salty so be sure to add less salt to the dish they are being used in.  It is also OK to gently rinse them first to remove some of salt.  The lemon slices can be stored in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator for several days.