Quick ‘Preserved’ Lemons

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.

So easy and very tasty.....I use this in the Morroccan Chickpea Stew. It also freezes very well.

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".

The results were not what I expected.
I found the preserve way too salty, and in general too strong.
I made eggplant with onion and peppers like the author did on the video, and everything was great except when you got a piece of lemon. The flavor was like a slap in the face. Out of place. I tried it in crepes and same result. I tried it in toast, and still not good. I am kind of tired running food trying to see how to use this preserve.

I add a few tablespoons to sautéing chicken breasts with white wine and butter at the end. Tastes like the chicken has been marinating for hours.

For 2 lemons add a little cinnamon, 1 clove, a few coriander seeds, Aleppo pepper. Works great.

always rinse the lemons before using and do not use the center only the peel and pith it is not your usual preserve but more of a flavoring

Used this to make Melissa Clark's Moroccan Chickpeas with Chard, and I feel that it was successful. A couple adjustments: I used two lemons, 1 tsp table salt (didn't have kosher) and 1 tbsp sugar. Came out a tiny bit on the salty side, so will reduce salt slightly next time. To "unwax" the lemons I poured hot water over the lemons in a colander and scrubbed with a clean dish towel. Sliced in 1/4 inch slices then did a very very fine dice to get the lemony essence instead of chunks. Worked well!

This is a savory condiment, used in mostly middle eastern recipes and seafood.

Does it get any easier? I've been using this 'relish,' for years and I love it! It also works well with limes, but work by weight. In either case, I add four or five drops of lemon or lime OIL (never extract!) to add a little more zing. Very good stuff!!

This is a great solution for when you don’t have time to make real preserved lemons. I started these in the morning, began a lamb tagine in the afternoon, and the lemons complemented that dish perfectly by dinner time. I think I used two tablespoons of sugar and three tablespoons of kosher salt, for three enormous lemons.

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.