Preserved lemons lend a unique and distinctive flavor to North African dishes. You find the softened lemons in jars, or sold loose in street markets. They are now also common fare in the south of France. You can make them yourself. They take about 4 weeks to mature and can last a year. When they are ready to use, the pulp is scooped out and thrown away—only the skin is eaten. You can use small limes with thin skins, or ordinary lemons with thick ones. There are three common ways of making them.

　　

Ingredients

Lemons Preserved in Salt and Lemon Juice

4 lemons (choose them with thick skins)

　　4 tablespoons sea salt

　　Juice of 4 more lemons, or more

　　

Lemons Preserved in Salt and Lemon Juice

Step 1

In this method, which is considered most prestigious and gives the best results, no water is used. You will need 1/3 cup salt for 1 pound lemons. This works out at about 4 tablespoons salt for 4 lemons.

　　

Step 2

Wash and scrub the lemons. The classic Moroccan way is to cut each lemon in quarters but not right through, so that the pieces are still attached at the stem end, and to stuff each with plenty of salt. Put them in a glass jar, pressing them down so that they are squashed together, and close the jar. Leave for 3–4 days, by which time the lemons will have released some of their juices and the skins will have softened a little. Press them down as much as you can and add fresh lemon juice to cover them entirely. Close the jar and leave in a cool place for at least a month, after which they should be ready. The longer they are left, the better the flavor. (If a piece of lemon is not covered, it develops a white mold which is harmless and just needs to be washed off.)

　　

Step 3

Before using, rinse to get rid of the salt and scoop out and discard the pulp.

　　

Lemons Pickled in Brine

Step 4

This is the same procedure as above, but instead of adding lemon juice, cover the lemons with brine made by adding 2 tablespoons salt to warm water. Lemons prepared this way take longer to mature. Some people pour a little oil on top as a protective film.

　　

Lemons Boiled in Brine and Preserved in Oil

Step 5

This quick, unorthodox method gives very good results in 4 days, and the lemons last for months.

　　

Step 6

With a sharp knife make 8 fine—superficial, not deep—incisions into the lemon skin, from one end of the lemon to the other. Put the lemons in a large pan with salted water (about 8 tablespoons salt for 8 lemons) to cover. Put a smaller lid on top of them to keep them down as they float, and boil for about 25 minutes, or until the peels are very soft. When cool enough to handle, scoop out the flesh, pack the skins in a glass jar, and cover with olive or vegetable oil. They are ready to use after 4 days, or even sooner.

　　The New Book of Middle Eastern Food Copyright © 2000Knopf