Preserved lemons (unjuiced lemons preserved in a salt brine) add a huge amount of unique tart, lemony flavor to many dishes. Rather than being sour, they are mildly tart and abundantly lemony with a salty tang.
Preserved lemons are bold! They are best used in small amounts and in small pieces. Large pieces of preserved lemon can be overwhelming in a dish instead of adding a beautiful, citrusy punch. So plan to use less than a tablespoon of finely minced preserved lemon in most recipes except in a few cases – like our chicken/fish recipe below – where whole slices are used to infuse the sauce with flavor.
Preserved lemons are a staple in Indian and North African cuisine and are most often used in traditional dishes such as stews, salads and grains, but there are so many other ways to use them:
- Add to your favorite vinaigrette salad dressing recipe.
- Add to pre-made mayo or make a lemony version of your favorite aioli recipe.
- Add to couscous or quinoa along with scallions and garlic.
- Add to your favorite hummus recipe (just blend it right in!)
- Add to pesto for a perkier version of this favorite green sauce.
- Sauté with veggies that are enhanced by a lemony bite – asparagus, broccoli, brussel
sprouts and spinach. - Add to a favorite pasta recipe – the lemon flavor will brighten up a tomato sauce or a
white sauce. - Add to your marinade for your tofu, tempeh or seitan.
- Top pita bread with olive oil, garlic, thyme, feta and finely chopped preserved lemon –
place under the broiler until toasty. - Braise a cut of beef with beef stock, red wine, one sliced preserved lemon and sprigs
of rosemary.
We sell preserved lemons in the Specialty Department (in the refrigerated case with the olives and things). Try these simple recipes for Preserved Lemon Relish and Preserved Lemon Sauce.