Preserved Lemons in Olive Oil

 

Preserved Lemons in Olive Oil made with 3 ingredients and herbs of your preference give the best of virgin olive oil, sea salt and beautiful lemons !

Lemons are everywhere. Branches abundant with ripe fruits are so inviting and so bursting with flavours!

I guess your family has it’s own favorite lemons recipe when it comes to desserts so I decided to share our simple version of preserved lemon recipe so you can keep this healthy fruit up to six months to enjoy.

So, how to pickle lemons ?

Here is the simplest version with minimum ingredients: all you need is to slice them, sprinkle with kosher salt,  leave to rest over night, gently squeeze them, pack into jars and cover with olive oil. Less chemicals, the better results!

The quantities below are for two jars. Each is of 1 ½ cup volume. I believe this one is the best version since you can add a lot more of herbs and spices to the dish you are making and are not limited with intense flavours of this lemon preserve recipe. If you can get homemade extra virgin oil it is absolutely amazing for the best results!

Are pickled lemons the same as preserved lemons?

Pickled lemons and preserved lemons are essentially the same thing – since pickling is letting something marinate in a salty liquid.

What to use pickled lemons for?

On the top of tuna and cheese bruschetta is a must for both of us.

To find 38 more bruschetta ideas, look here  and you’ll get so creative!

 

Pasta dishes are calling for Preserved Lemons in Olive Oil. You can also add them to salad, serve with cheese, fish, salsa, risotto and chicken dishes.

For more great recipes that use preserved lemons, look here    .

 

What are the benefits of preserved lemons ?

Preserved lemons add a depth of flavor to dishes than cannot be achieved by just using finely grated lemon zest. The preserving process concentrates the lemony flavour but removes the mouth-puckering sourness that usually accompanies it. As the lemons age, the flavour changes and develops umami.

 

 

There are many more ways to preserve lemons! You can preserve them with salt, you may also freeze them, dehydrate, can, make lemon extract, vinegar, jam, and curd. If you are interested in any of these, find details here    .

 

 

Can you freeze lemons?

Yes. You can store whole fruits and slices as well to add a spritz of lemon juice to drinks or dishes. To start, place the cut lemons on a freezer-safe parchment-lined tray and freeze until frozen. Once frozen, pack to batches suitable to your needs.

 

Can you zest frozen lemons?

Frozen lemons are almost easier to zest, and once thawed they’ll release their juice more readily because, as with any fruit or vegetable, freezing and thawing weakens the cell walls. Always zest before you thaw because once the fruit is soft post-thawing, zesting can be difficult.

 

And, before you scroll to the recipe box, let me add one more tip although this preserved lemons recipe is not overloaded with salt:

How do you reduce the salt in lemon pickles?

If there is an overdose of salt in the pickle, you can mix it with garlic pickle without salt or vinegar or simply add some lemon juice.