Preserved Lemons – Tunisian “Taste Bomb”

I remember the little glass jar of preserved lemons; whenever I opened the refrigerator door, it was always there. My aba (father) used it on almost everything…

Besides being a Superman, my Aba is also a super sandwich maker: Even at his hungriest hours, my Aba calmly and carefully and with no regard to time creates the BEST sandwich ever! And he is always so happy to share it with whoever happens to be around. His trademark is a well-prepared sandwich topped with some preserved lemons. Whether it is genetic or an acquired behavior, I’m also known as a meticulous sandwich maker. My family always teases me when I take my time to create a sandwich. 🙂

But preserved lemons were not invented for sandwiches alone.

Actually… this amazing “taste bomb” is a huge flavor lifter in Tunisian cuisine or any cuisine. There’s so much you can do with it- preserved lemons go well with fish, seafood, chicken, meat and it is a great addition to patties or meat/turkey balls. It will also uplift any salad. Chop preserved lemons well and add to soft butter to create a “mean” compound butter or add it to mayonnaise to make a super flavorful aioli. For an “out of this world” lemony taste try it in rice, couscous or a pasta dish. The options are endless…

A side note:

This Tunisian popular dish usually calls for specific dwarf/mini lemons that have thin skin. Their small size allows preserving them whole just by creating an X shaped seam at the bottom of each lemon. Nowadays, it is mostly challenging for me to find these types of lemons in the local markets; therefore, I pick lemons that are small in size and have thin skin. Slicing them as part of this recipe preparation, guarantees the authentic flavor of this traditional dish.

You will need:

5 medium Lemons (3 to cut 2 to juice)

2 Bay Leaves

½ cup Coarse Sea Salt (large grains)

1 tsp. Sweet Paprika

½ tsp. Sugar

1 tbsp. Canola Oil

Let’s get to work:

First, let’s make sure the lemons are ready: in many cases the skin of lemons is coated with wax. We must wash the wax off and a traditional wash will NOT do the job. We have to DOUBLE BOIL the lemons, but still to keep this process short in order to avoid overly soft lemons.

Boil a pot of water and place the three lemons in a pot. Let the lemons boil for just a few seconds and quickly (but carefully) drain the hot water and wash the lemons in cold water. Repeat the process a second time and once again allow the lemons to boil no longer them a few seconds and quickly rinse with cold water. You may also use boiling water from a kettle and wash the lemons twice in the boiling water in the same manner.

Dry them carefully.

Combine the coarse sea salt, sweet paprika and sugar in a flat plate and mix them together.

Ready to slice?

Slice the lemons thinly.

Make sure to carefully remove ALL seeds. The seeds will make the preserved lemons taste bitter.

Preparing the jar:

For this task I use a ½ liter glass jar with a vacuum seal. This is a very simple step, yet super important since we are trying to create a clean and germ-free environment to avoid bacteria growth and make the preserved lemons’ shelf life as long as possible. (Remember? We did it once when we made Harissa) Place your glass jar in the sink and pour in hot boiling water all the way to the top (let the water overflow). Wait 5 minutes and carefully pour out the water (the jar is still hot so you may use tongs for this task). Let your jar dry upside down on a clean kitchen/paper towel. When the clean jar is completely dry it is ready for use.

Goes without saying…

Make sure your hands are VERY clean for this next step:

Using tongs or a fork, coat each slice of lemon on both sides and arrange neatly in a glass jar.

Place a couple of bay leaves flat to the side of the jar as you keep arranging the coated lemon slices.

Juice two lemons and add about ½ a cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice to the jar. If the lemon juice does not reach the top of lemons level, add a little pre-boiled water and top with a tablespoon of canola oil.

Seal the jar and let it hang at room temperature for at least 8-10 hours up to couple of days. After couple of days in room temperature, transfer to the refrigerator.

The preserved lemons are ready to use, but know that the flavor of these only gets better with time. And as long as you make sure to use a clean utensil each time you go into the jar for some goodness, these will last forever or until you eat them all up. 🙂

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Quick Recipe:

Preserved Lemons-

Double boil the Lemons in a quick process, drain and dry them well.

Combine Sea Salt, Sweet Paprika and Sugar and mix well on a flat plate.

Slice the Lemons thinly.

Coat each slice on both sides and arrange in a (germ-free) jar neatly.

Place two Bay Leaves to the sides of the jar.

Add freshly squeezed Lemon Juice and water if needed to reach to level of the lemons.

Top with Canola Oil.

Seal the jar and allow up to couple of days at room temperature.

Transfer to refrigerator.