Preserved Lemons (Lacto-Fermented Lemons)
Preserved lemons are a trade secret of many high-end chefs. Learn how to make this secret ingredient at home so you can incorporate it into your recipes as well.
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Servings: 40 lemon wedges
Calories: 5kcal
Cost: Varies
Equipment
- Quart-Sized Glass Jar I use these canning jars from Azure Standard.
- Two-Part Canning Lid I use these canning lids from Azure Standard.
- Sauerkraut Pounder This kraut stomper, or a sturdy wooden spoon works great.
Ingredients
- 6-10 Medium Lemons organic
- Lemon Juice if needed
- Spices optional - cinnamon sticks, bay leaf, cloves, chili pepper, or thyme
- 5 Teaspoon Sea Salt We use Redmond Real Salt. Use that link to automatically get 15% off your order!
Instructions
- Scrub lemons in hot water, and remove any remaining stems. Do not use soap or produce washes, scrubbing in hot water is sufficient.
- Place spices in the bottom of the jar.
- Placing the stem side down (this is the flatter end, the blossom end is the pointy end of the lemon), score your lemons in quarters. Do not worry if you cut your lemon all the way through. This does not affect the fermentation process, the scoring is simply for aesthetic appeal.
- Open the lemon, and sprinkle a generous amount of salt onto the flesh. If the seeds begin to fall out, simply remove them. You don’t need to make a big fuss about removing all the seeds, but you can remove them if you like.
- Place lemon in the jar with the cut side of the lemon facing upwards.
- Repeat the scoring and salting of the remaining lemons stacking on top of one another. Use a sauerkraut pounder or wooden spoon to pack as tightly as possible. Packing the jar tightly helps to further extract the juice from the lemons which will facilitate the fermentation process. As the jar becomes full, you will notice that it should also be filling up with lemon juice.
- Once the lemons are packed to the brim of the jar, pour in any remaining salt, and if the lemons are not completely submerged in juice, top off the jar with the additional lemon juice.
- Cover the jar with a two-part canning lid, and let sit on the countertop for about 4-5 days.
- During this time, alternate turning the jar upside down for 12 hours, and then right side up for 12 hours. This will ensure that the lemons are equally covered by the brine to prevent molding.
- After this time, the jar is ready to go into cold storage for up to a year. This can be in a root cellar, a cool pantry that is at least 55°F or below, or a refrigerator. While in cold storage, continue to flip the jar when you think about it (or once every 3-5 days) to prevent molding. Allow the lemons to marinate for about a month to completely develop their flavor before using.
Notes
Storage Instructions:
Once the lemons have fermented, the jar is ready to go into cold storage for up to six months. This can be in a root cellar, a cool pantry that is at least 55°F or below, or a refrigerator.
While in cold storage, continue to flip the jar when you think about it (or once every 3-5 days) to prevent molding. Allow the lemons to marinate for about a month to completely develop their flavor before using.
How to Use Preserved Lemons:
Preserved lemons are a delicious addition to savory dishes such as fish and chicken, and can be diced up and added to pan sauces and gravies. We use preserved lemons in this lemon reduction sauce to pair with a whole roasted chicken.
Preserved lemons are also a wonderful enhancement to homemade salad dressings. Try using them in this homemade vinaigrette.
Because the flavor is incredibly potent, one section of lemon can really intensify the flavor of your recipes. While you can eat the flesh of the lemon, the part that brings the flavor is actually the rind. The fermentation process changes it from stiff and rigid to more pliable.
To evenly distribute this potent flavor, you will want to dice the lemons very finely for whatever recipe you use them in. Our favorite way to use lacto-preserved lemons is to combine them with fresh spring vegetables over homemade egg noodles to make a delicious pasta primavera.
Nutrition
Calories: 5kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 0.2g | Fat: 0.05g | Saturated Fat: 0.01g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.01g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.002g | Sodium: 291mg | Potassium: 22mg | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 0.4g | Vitamin A: 4IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 4mg | Iron: 0.1mg
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