Use Your Preserved Lemons in These Moroccan Recipes (2024)

FAQs

How do you eat Moroccan preserved lemons? ›

But if you love the tangy, salty flavor of preserved lemons, you don't really need a recipe: “Just pull the lemons out of your fridge and use them as a condiment,” says Issa, who recommends serving thinly sliced preserved lemons on a cheeseboard, tucking them into sandwiches, or splaying them atop toast or hummus as a ...

Beldi Lemons - the word beldi is applied to things that are made with love and care - is the lemon used to make these authentic preserved lemons. Mildly sweet and fragrant, these lemons are grown in Taroudant, Southern Morocco.

One way to make use of preserved lemon pulp is to finely chop it and push it through a strainer with a rubber spatula, and use the flavorful, fermented juices to boost dressing and marinades. Another method is to mash the pulp directly into a dish.

Preserved lemons add a big punch of flavor, instant umami, and complexity to any dish. Rinse the salt off before using preserved lemon in place of fresh in recipes.

Pop them whole into stews; add thin-sliced slivers into drinks; or mince them up for earthier pasta sauces. Before use, rinse to tame the saltiness and be sure to discard the seeds; because of the fermentation process, the rind and pith are fine to consume and will taste the same as the flesh.

How to use preserved lemons. Once the lemons are preserved, it's more common to use just the peel. The flesh is quite mushy and very salty at this point, though you can rinse it and toss into soups or stews to infuse the flavor. I usually use a spoon or paring knife to scoop the flesh away from the peel.

Preserved lemons are available in most bigger supermarkets, but they're really easy to make at home, too. They will keep for up to a year without refrigeration.

Properly stored in the fridge, salt-preserved lemons can keep for a good 6 months. It is important to use a good canning jar with a tightly closed lid, and make sure the lemons are well submerged in the lemon juice. Some sources say they will last a good year, that may be, but I like to play it safe.

For one, lemons are chock-full of healthful properties, like vitamin C, which is rich in antioxidants and has long been claimed to help boost immunity. There's also tons of lemon peel benefits, and because the entire fruit becomes pleasantly edible when preserved, you can reap these benefits, too.

Because we prize preserved lemons for their softened, salty, umami-packed rinds, many recipes call for rinds only. Those recipes may also instruct you to discard the pulp. But save both the flavorful pulp and brine.

Does preserved lemons need to be refrigerated after opening? ›

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.

Preserved lemons, when puréed into paste and incorporated into the simple batter, bring a powerful citrus flavor and subtle brininess that zest and juice alone could never achieve. Olive oil reinforces the fruity savoriness and works with the sour cream to keep this loaf plush and moist for days.

Moroccan preserved lemons are a flavor powerhouse, offering both the tart acidity of fresh lemons and a salty, tangy funkiness coaxed out during the curing process.

They should smell sweet with a citrusy aroma – if you smell ammonia, the lemons are no good and should not be used (this means that air got in during the process or your jar wasn't sterile).

Seal and refrigerate for 1 month

Now, cover the jar tightly and refrigerate for 3 weeks and up to 1 month before consuming. The lemons will soften and mellow as they sit in the pickling liquid. Salt-preserved lemons will keep in the fridge for up to 6 months.

Preserved lemons are fermented, which makes them a rich source of vitamin C and a healthy dose of probiotic bacteria. The fermentation process increases the already high level of vitamins. A diet rich in vitamin C is fantastic for building and sustaining the immune system.

Kitchen Window — Preserved Lemons: Older, Wiser And Full Of Flavor Salted and aged, the fruit develops mellow yet intensely lemony flavor, with none of the nose-tickling bright, high notes of the fresh version.