1990s Recipes + Menus

Preserved Meyer Lemons

Makes48 pieces
  • Active Time:15 min
  • Start to Finish:5 days
RECIPE ADAPTED FROM PAULA WOLFERT
December 1999
Preserving a Meyer lemon captures its glorious perfume. We’ve adapted cookbook author Paula Wolfert’s quick method, our favorite, and made it even faster by blanching the lemons first. The rind of a preserved lemon is a common ingredient in Moroccan dishes; we also love it in all kinds of soups, stews, and salads and as a low-fat alternative to olives. Save the pulp for Bloody Marys or anything else enlivened by a little lemon juice and salt.
  • 2 1/2 to 3 lb Meyer lemons (10 to 12)
  • 2/3 cup kosher salt
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • Special equipment:

    6-cup jar with tight-fitting lid
  • Blanch 6 lemons in boiling water 5 minutes. When cool enough to handle, cut lemons into 8 wedges each and discard seeds. Toss with salt in a bowl and pack into jar.
  • Squeeze enough juice from remaining lemons to measure 1 cup. Add enough juice to cover lemons and cover jar with lid. Let stand at room temperature, shaking gently once a day, 5 days. Add oil and chill.
Cook's Note: Preserved lemons keep, chilled, up to 1 year.
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