Moroccan cuisine · Salads & Mezze

Preserved Lemons

Organic lemons packed with coarse sea salt and cured for weeks in their own juice – Morocco's most important seasoning.

Ingredients · for 8 servings

• 8 organic lemons
• 150g coarse sea salt
• 200ml lemon juice
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp coriander seeds
• 1 cinnamon stick

Instructions

1. Boil a 1-litre preserving jar with its lid for 10 minutes and let dry completely; wash the organic lemons in hot water and rub them dry.
2. Cut each lemon deeply into a cross from the blossom end, without cutting all the way through – the stem end must hold the fruit together.
3. Press 1–2 tsp of coarse sea salt deep into the cuts of each lemon and fold it back together.
4. Pack the fruits firmly into the jar in layers, distributing the bay leaves, coriander seeds and cinnamon stick between them, and sprinkle each layer with the remaining salt.
5. Top up with lemon juice until all the fruits are covered, seal the jar and leave at room temperature for 3 days, turning it once a day.
6. Then let it cure in a cool, dark place for at least 4 weeks, until the peel is soft and translucent – for seasoning, use only the rinsed peel.